Mass Effect Valediction
by Kelly'smygirl
Summary: The Bahak system is gone. As the dust begins to settle, the Batarian government is demanding blood be shed for the loss of 300,000 people, they want Shepard's blood. Forced to turn himself over as a criminal, Shepard must return to Earth a disgrace. What will his team think of this? More important, what will his yeoman think of this?
1. Chapter 1

Mass Effect: Valediction

Ch 1: Last Requests

_Crew Deck, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_24 Hours Post Bahak System Incident, 1705 hours_

Andreas took a few steps out of Normandy's elevator and made his way onto the crew deck. His sides were extremely sore; the pain killers must've been wearing off. He took a few steps further into the curved hallway towards the crew mess. Shepard could hear Hawthorne and Hadley carry on some conversation about the Normandy's last trip to Illium. Gardner was busy at his post preparing a repast for the evening. The air was pungent with the aroma of garlic, onion, and roasted peppers. It smelt very good, then again, Andreas hadn't taken a meal in almost two days now. Gardner gave his CO a fond greeting and a parting smile before turning his attention to the whole cooked chicken that was perched on his work station.

Shepard approached the med bay door and entered the room slowly. His eyes narrowed on Chakwas, who was currently reading a novel that Kasumi was kind enough to loan to her. The book was surprisingly well kept, especially given its age and Goto's constant travels. The novel's cover page was a dark midnight blue, with gold letters printed on its peak. There was a hidden profile of a woman on its cover. Two eyes stared out at him; the eyes were very feminine with heavy eyelashes and low, dark, eyebrows. The letters inscribed read: "The Great Gatsby" and it was by some old twentieth century author F. Scott Fitzgerald. _Never heard of him, _Andy mused silently as he strolled further into the large office.

Chakwas closed her book slowly once she heard him enter. She turned slightly to greet Andreas with a warm, inviting, smile. "Oh, Shepard, you're here. Good. Now if you wouldn't mind Commander; please hop on the gurney, remove your top, and let's have a gander at your injuries, shall we?" The doctor quickly rose to her feet, setting her book aside for later. She made her way past him to recover her instruments and gave him some privacy to remove his shirt.

Andreas let out several low moans as he brought his arms and shirt above his shoulders. It hurt a lot more than he figured to remove the cumbersome top. After an exhausting effort, he eventually accomplished the deed. His torso was wrapped in nothing but a low-cut, white, cotton undershirt. The ivory apparel was very snug, and it clung to his muscular frame as though it were his second layer of flesh. Shepard wasted no time, in one free flowing motion; he placed himself on the bed.

The physician approached him, stethoscope in hand and placed the cold metallic circle under his shirt atop his bare left breast. It was extremely cold, and the sudden contact made him shiver out of shock. She placed the buds of the device in her ears in order to accurately listen to his heart beats and breaths. "All right, Commander, If you'd please take a few deep breaths for me," Chakwas asked her patient formally to which he nodded.

Shepard let out several short, rasped inhales and exhales. He repeated this process a few times before Chakwas had had her fill. She removed the tiny buds from her ear, and let the contraption fall around her collar. She quickly ignited her omni-tool and ran a bright orange scanning laser over the Commander's brawny figure. It let out several nondescript beeps before silencing itself.

The British physician sighed and her face contorted. Shepard was intrigued by her sudden facial change, knowing that what she had to say next would not be good news. "You're running a mild fever, only 100.2, probably due to a minor infection in your rib cage. I must've been too slow in applying the medi-gel to your fractures two days ago. Don't worry, though. It's entirely harmless; all it means is that you'll be requiring an extra prescription for it." Chakwas sauntered her way over to the small medicine cabinet across from her desk and opened one of its small doors.

The commander made a motion for his shirt that rested next to him. "That all, Doc? Or are there some other, more painful tests you'd like to run?" Shepard teased lightly with the piece of garb over his forearms, remembering that he hadn't been excused yet.

The doctor rolled her eyes at her patient's joke and simply handed him the small bottle of pills. "These should help; take two of them every two hours until tomorrow. They're antibiotics, amoxicillin to be precise. I suspect that your fever will be gone within the first hour." She moved over to the sink to retrieve a glass of water so Andreas could consume the small capsules.

"So…I'm good to go, right?" He continued to replace his top gently over his sculpted torso. He let out several grunts as he struggled to replace the shirt into his pants. Chakwas returned having fetched his refreshment. She handed him the small glass of water and helped serve him two small capsules from the vial. He popped the small tablets into his mouth before taking a long gratified sip of water.

"Yes, you're free to go, Shepard. Your ribs are healing quite nicely; there're no signs of fluid build up in your chest cavity, so there's a spot of good news. The bruising along your neck should dissipate within the next day or so. The bullet wounds in your leg and shoulder have taken to the medi-gel swimmingly, I imagine it should be healed as early as tomorrow morning. However, you'll still no doubt feel some discomfort in tasks involving simple mobility. As I've said before, don't worry. Just continue taking your pain killers, and it should dissipate as early as tomorrow. One more thing, I would advise that you not take them on an empty stomach. Otherwise, you may get some nausea or a slight dizziness," Chakwas stated while she made her way over to her desk to place her small data pad on the counter.

Shepard smiled, lifted himself off of the bed, and started off to the door. However, the doctor offered him one last fleeting message. "Shepard, I take it that I shouldn't have to explain the consequences of any sort of strenuous activity in your condition, right? I'm more than certain that you understand your physical limits and that you would certainly never do anything that would exacerbate your tender state." Her tone was rich with sarcasm. Shepard could see her eyes narrow on him with an expression vaguely reminiscent of the way his mother used to scold him when he was a kid.

"Come on, Doc. Don't you trust me?" Shepard offered happily and shrugged his shoulders playfully at her. Chakwas shook her head dismissively at her patient's childish attitude.

"Mmmhmm, just the same dragging you in here kicking and screaming in order to tie you to a gurney is not exactly my idea of a good time, Shepard. It also may not be prudent to test your physician's patience level, either." She let out a sigh and turned in her chair to examine her data pad. She brought her left leg above the other professionally, turning her focus to the small data pad before her. Shepard couldn't see her facial expression, but judging by her tone she was dead serious.

"All I'm asking is for a few days of peace, before you re-enter the fray, as it were. After all, it would be unfortunate for me to have to spend an afternoon resetting your broken bones, without anesthetic."

"Far be it from me to get between you and Mr. Fitzgerald, Karin." Shepard spoke with a large grin plastered across his face.

She shook her head and reopened her novel to resume her reading. With her attention fully returned to her novel Shepard left the room in silence.

He returned to the CIC to see a line of crewmen waiting to be served dinner by Gardner. Shepard figured now was as good a chance as any to begin the arduous task of obtaining his team's requested destinations. He waited in line for a tray of food as a peace offering for his first stop. Once the crew noticed him, they all happily stepped aside to allow him the head of the line. Saving all their lives must've gained him a lot of good will. He carried the small silver tray of chow toward the elevator and made his way to the engineering deck.

**~O~**

Shepard exited the elevator a few minutes later and made his way toward the engineering door. Behind the second set of closed doors, he could hear Gabby and Kenneth holding a conversation about dinner. He made his way down the set of stairs and heard the distinctive sound of an element zero field. Andreas turned the corner, and saw Jack lying on her bunk toying with a pistol. She was using her biotics to levitate it. Jack stopped her activity and turned her attention towards her new visitor.

"Wow, Shepard. You're up and about? I'm surprised you managed to pry your way out from between Chambers' legs for more than a few feet." Jack teased him mockingly as he made his way closer to the table across from her.

Her joke actually did make him laugh lightly while he set down the tray onto her work bench. "Thought you might be hungry, Gardner made some pretty good chicken and spinach alfredo lasagna." Shepard removed the cover off of the small serving tray and the smell drifted through the air. Jack tried to conceal a small grin, and she released the pistol from her biotic grip. She raised herself from her seat and moved toward the food.

"If you're trying to buy me into an idea of a threesome between you and Chambers, then you're barking up the wrong tree." Jack teased while she lightly sniffed the meal her friend had brought, his face turned crimson and he lightly coughed out of shock.

"Could you please stop riding me so hard about Kelly?" Shepard groaned while his compatriot toyed with her dining utensil.

Jack grinned devilishly and forked a large morsel of food into her mouth. "Wonder how many times Chambers has had to tell you that?" She spoke through mouthfuls of food.

Shepard actually laughed at that, at least until his injuries reminded him of his current condition. "Damn it, Jack. Don't make me laugh, please. My rib cage is barely holding together as it is." He took a seat on her bunk while she continued to stuff herself with her meal.

"So what's up? You need something?" Jack asked impatiently. Her eyes glazed over him quickly before she returned her attention to the wall ahead. Shepard grasped the railings of her bunk and he cleared his throat.

"I just came down here to talk. I take it you weren't too happy about my idea of closing up shop?" He waited patiently while Jack took a sip out of a glass of water. She returned the small glass back to its place beside her utensils, and she scowled angrily.

"Oh, you mean the fact that you're running away like a little chicken shit? Nah I could give two shits about that, believe me." She huffed derisively at her friend, while continuing to unkemptly shovel more of Gardner's meal into her gullet. Shepard shifted in place and planted his hands on his legs.

"So if you don't care, then what's was with all the flak at the meeting? Seemed like you have a pretty strong opinion Jack, or am I reading too much into it?" Shepard wondered politely. She continued to pass him heated glances. She placed her fork down and let out a fiery groan.

Jack turned on the small stool to him, and her gaze was so fierce it actually made Andreas pause. "Look asshole, I've got nothing to say to you. Thanks for the grub, but don't think that anything you're doing phases me in the slightest. If you wanna go run off to the Alliance just because of one fuck up, then by all means feel free to abandon us." That last word caught his attention.

Andreas' eye brows arched and he brought his hands together in thought. _Abandon? Is she upset because I'm leaving? Dear god she actually cares about me. Wow, Jack, thanks. _

"Jack…you think I'm abandoning you? Oh my god, you like me don't you?"

Jack's face immediately turned red as a radish in response, and she huffed as though the very concept offended her. "You wish…god, I don't know how Chambers can stomach kissing that ugly mug of yours." Again Jack's crude humor and cheap shots made Andreas grin. She really had changed in the months since they first met. He never thought he'd be sharing in a reasonably friendly conversation with her. Maybe she really did consider him a friend after all.

He sat back in his seat and let out a light chuckle. "She probably has to close her eyes tightly and pretend she's with someone else."

Jack let out a dry laugh and turned her attention back to the wall across from her. "Yeah she probably does. Look, Shepard, I know I am not the easiest person to be around. I'm a violent bitch, plain and simple. Yet for some reason, you still came down here to talk to me. You treated me with respect and you treated me like a human being so…thanks for that. I guess I'm glad those ugly bastards on Arahtot didn't kick your ass too badly," Jack whispered lightly while still avoiding eye contact with him. Shepard let out a grin and sat up in his chair.

"Jack, you're welcome. I know that you don't approve of this, believe me, a lot of the crew would side with you. Like it or not though this needs to happen. What do you think will happen to humanity when the Reapers do show up? We'll be too busy fighting the Batarians and we'll both be wiped out."

"So you're just going to bend over a barrel and let the Alliance screw you over? C'mon! Do you realize how fucking stupid that sounds? You're humanity's golden boy, they'd have to be bat shit crazy to slap you in chains and throw you in the can!" She angrily retorted, and she flung her arms into the air in disgust.

"Jack…I know this sucks. Believe me, I do. All I'm asking is that you guys trust my call on this just like any other mission, so, please?" Andy forwarded earnestly to her.

Jack huffed once more and took a lengthy sip of water before continuing. "Well, I guess I owe you that much. Besides, you haven't made any really stupid calls-yet. So…you're down here collecting ideas on where I wanna go, huh?"

Shepard rose to his feet and arched his arms behind him so that his back bones could pop. "Yeah, I guess I am. So do you have a spot picked out?"

Jack set her elbows on the table and she formed a contemplative temple with her finger tips. After a few moments of silence, she turned her sights to Shepard with an answer. "I think I'll try my luck on Omega. It seems like a fun place for a girl like me. Who knows, I might even be able to strike it rich on that shithole planet. You can get pretty far on that station if you're strong and ruthless."

Shepard's face darkened at the mention of the station. The memories of the conversation he and Liara shared flooded back to his mind in a flash. _Oh, crap. If Liara's intel is spot on, which it always is, Jack would be stepping into a trap if we went there. I have to tell her. _

Shepard covered his mouth to clear his throat lightly, and winced when a sharp pain erupted in his sides. "Jack, Omega may not be the best place for us right now. We have reason to believe that Cerberus is using it as a staging area for runs through the Omega Four relay."

The news definitely took Jack aback. Though it wasn't from fear, with her it would never be fear. In fact, Shepard thought he could make out a small grin slowly forming along her maroon lips. Her brown eyes narrowed on him in a gleeful gaze. "Cerberus is there? Well why didn't you say so?" She let out a loud cackle that echoed through her small spider hole on the engineering deck. "I'd like to see those fuckers try and take me. I'll rip that whole station in half before I let one of those Cerberus stooges get their hands on me, Shepard. Besides, I may just go looking for them, now that I know where those bastards are. So thanks for the heads up, Shepard. Now I'm over the whole you leaving thing."

"Good to hear, I think. Good night, Jack." Shepard made his advance toward the staircase at the far side of her quarters.

"Later." She replied passively while taking in another morsel of food. Shepard left in silence and proceeded up the staircase. Once he reached the top, he could no longer hear Gabby or Kenneth, so he assumed that they went to the crew deck for their dinner. He walked into the engineering station and did not see anyone. Even Tali had left for her meal. He proceeded out of the engine room corridor and made his way to Grunt's quarters.

The large beast was currently rummaging through a crate, no doubt looking for spare pyjak or varren steaks that were spared from the oculus' wrath. The krogan let out a small chuckle of satisfaction when he found his prize. "Good, real food," he proclaimed with a barely contained jubilance. He ravenously ripped the small plastic bag open and began consuming the foul smelling meat happily. Grunt turned his head to acknowledge his visitor and stood to greet his mentor proudly.

"Shepard," the youthful krogan greeted him. "Don't wanna eat that smelly human crap Gardner cooked, eh? Want some real food, Battle Master?" Grunt respectfully motioned the package to Shepard. It smelled rotten, and quite frankly, it looked the part too. It was all Shepard could do to not gag at the repulsive smell. Out of respect to his apprentice's feelings, he simply shook his head 'no', but he at least thanked him for the offer.

"So Grunt, I came down here to ask about where you'll want to go now that everything is over with the Collectors?" Shepard asked the youthful krogan kindly. The brute stopped shoving the dried meat into his mouth to answer his leader.

"Yeah…I was thinking of going to Tuchanka. The Urdnot clan leader has been buggin me since yesterday. Wrex says he's forming some team using the different Krogan clans and he wants me to represent Urdnot." This news came as a shock to Shepard.

_Wrex had been messaging Grunt? He wanted a tank bred krogan to represent his own clan? That's unexpected, but hey Grunt's a hell of a soldier. Besides, Wrex is smart. He knows Grunt is the best the Krogan have to offer. I knew that Wrex would recognize Grunt's potential. _

Shepard cleared his throat and reclined against a nearby work desk. "Good for you, Grunt. I know you'll make a great representative for Urdnot. You're the best the Krogan species has to offer after all."

Shepard thought he could see the large creature beam at the compliment.

"Thanks," he replied nonchalantly trying to conceal his feeling of pride. The brute reached his large hand into his plastic pouch to retrieve more of the wretched smelling meat. "Listen, Battle Master…thanks, for showing me how to fight like a true warrior. I'm sorry I can't go with you. Just make sure that you keep the skulls of your fallen foes as trophies, Battle Master. They'll be a good prize to present to your mate…the red haired female."

_Oh, Grunt. Not you too. _Shepard thought with a clearly visible blush slowly forming on his face. "Actually Grunt, most human females prefer flowers and candy as opposed to skulls from their mates."

The Krogan shook his head dismissively at the Commander's retort. "What the hell is a flower? Are they those weeds that grow out of the dirt? You give weeds to your females when you wish to mate with them?"

"Humans place a high value on flowers, Grunt. In our culture; they represent beauty, friendship, even love."

"I don't get any of you aliens," Grunt offered in a low bewildered growl while he shook his head. Apparently the concept of a flower holding significance in any culture was definitely an alien idea to the young warrior.

"Don't worry, Grunt. I'll have Joker plot a course to the Krogan DMZ as soon as possible so I won't delay you," Shepard said as he made his way to the door way. Grunt returned to a low flung crate and continued his meal.

Andreas strolled across the hallway and made his way to Zaeed's quarters. He figured since he had Zaeed pegged all wrong, he may as well see where the veteran wished to go now. Shepard ran his fingers along the control panel and activated the door to Zaeed's quarters. A small dart flew past his face and impaled the bullseye mark on the target next to him.

"Shepard, what brings you all the way down here?" The mercenary briefly stopped his activity to allow Shepard entry into his room. Andreas stepped a few feet inside and took a seat on the bench to Zaeed's left side.

"I thought we could talk, Zaeed, unless this is a bad time for you?" Shepard reclined on the small bunk and folded his left leg upon the other. The veteran gave on last uncaring toss of a dart toward the small board and nailed the bullseye once more.

"Sure, I was just waxing goddamned nostalgic." He strolled toward the board to retrieve his darts, before making his way back to his previous position. Zaeed set the tiny projectiles on his work bench next to his rifle Jesse, and then reached for a small red and white box. The letters Marlboro were printed in big bold black writing on the front of the carton. Given the condition of the box, it must've been extremely old, and Zaeed carefully extracted one of the long tubes from his carton to insert it into his mouth. He was about to close the small container when still he realized he had company. The mercenary passed Shepard a side glance and motioned the carton to him. "You want a fag, Shepard?"

Andy shook his head kindly and brought his hand up in rejection. "No thank you, Zaeed. I don't smoke."

The gray haired man nodded in understanding before lighting his cigarette. Zaeed inhaled several small puffs and exhaled white clouds of the fumes. "Good, it's a nasty habit to pick up. So what'd you wanna talk about, exactly?"

Shepard coughed lightly at the smell of the freshly burning tobacco. Most cigarettes in the 2100's now used nicotine fillers and artificial flavoring, rather than actual tobacco, seeing as how the taxes to export tobacco cigarettes from Earth to other parts of the galaxy resulted in at least a five percent or higher mark up. The room was slowly filling with white clouds of fresh smoke; fortunately the Normandy had good filtering systems, so Shepard wasn't suffering too badly.

"I thought we could talk about the meeting earlier." Shepard offered respectfully to his teammate.

The Veteran took another long drag on his cigar and exhaled the fumes through his nose. "Not a lot of shit to say, really. I've already stated my case."

"I remember. So what was it that made you come to my side, Zaeed? What made you protest my idea so feverishly?" Shepard remained silent while he patiently waited for an answer. Zaeed huffed quietly and shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"Look, Shepard. I'm not going to pretend that we're best friends or that you're bloody altruism doesn't get on my nerves. What I can say though, is that I respect you. You're a man who stands by his ideals, regardless of what anyone says. You listen to your crew's opinions and you actually treat them like equals. Plus you're a man of your word; you helped me track down Vido."

"Even though we didn't get him, you still trust me?" Andreas forwarded curiously.

"Yeah about that…I guess I apologize for pointing my rifle at you back there on Zorya. I didn't mean anything by it. Just spur of the moment stuff. Twenty years of work gone in less than half an hour has a way of pissing you off, I guess. In a way though, I guess it was for the best."

"Don't worry about it, Zaeed; I understand why you did what you did. Trust me. You aren't the first teammate that's pointed a gun at me before. I appreciate you placing your faith in me though. I wish I could help you track down that slime Vido again, but…"

"Eh, don't worry about it. I've been communicating with one of the Broker's agents; guy says he can find me Vido. Stupid bastard isn't even charging me for the info," Zaeed proclaimed happily and crossed his arms proudly. He gave his small joint one last inhale before removing it from his mouth and grinding the small bud into an ashtray beside him.

"You went to the Shadow Broker?"

_I had no idea. Wonder why Liara didn't mention it? _Shepard brought his hands together in thought while he waited for Zaeed to continue.

"Yeah, kinda cheating I know. But I'm sure as hell not gonna spend another twenty years hunting after him. Figure I may as well get with the times and hunt for him like one of the kids these days." Zaeed gave another nonchalant shrug. Shepard brought himself to his feet and turned his attention to the Mercenary.

"So where you heading, Zaeed, Did your agent say where to meet him?" The grizzly man let out a small sigh and shook his head 'no'.

"Unfortunately, the guy's one of those ultra secretive types. He said that he'd contact me as soon as he has something. In the mean time, I think I'll head to Omega and catch up on a few loose contracts that have been floating around my inbox. God, you disappear to do one god damned suicide mission, suddenly everyone and their mother wants you to kill someone for 'em." Zaeed let out a dry cackle before reaching into a cooler underneath his desk for a beer. The small silver can let out an audible hiss, before foaming over with bubbly white foam. Again, Zaeed motioned to Shepard in case he wished to partake, to which Andreas once again declined. After all, prescription pain killers and alcohol don't mix.

"I thought with the money you raked in on our mission that you could afford to retire, Zaeed?" Shepard amicably expressed to his companion. The mercenary's face soured, and he gave a sharp wave of his hand at the notion. He took in another gratified sip of the beverage before continuing.

"I wish. It turns out those Cerberus twats are as crooked as you made 'em out to be, Shepard. That son of a bitch, the Illusive Man, somehow thinks he can stiff me out of my paycheck. I'd find him and kick his arse, but I don't know where that sorry SOB would even be."

"Well when we find out, I'm afraid you're going to have to get in line, Zaeed. My boot has a hot date with his face."

Zaeed cracked up rather loudly at Shepard's interjection and the mercenary almost chocked on his beer. "Sure thing, Shepard, was that all you needed?" Zaeed motioned to Andy with his free hand.

"For the most part yeah, enjoy your beer, Zaeed." Shepard made his way out of Zaeed's quarters and heard the gruff warrior say 'cheers' before the doors closed behind him. _Three of my team down, an entire ship to go. _So far, his crew had taken to this change well; he was hardly getting any resistance from them. Though he suspected one particular passenger would object to this.

_Damn it, I still haven't thought of anything to say to her yet. Then again, let's face it. I really don't want to stare into those beautiful green eyes and tell her I may never see her again. _Andreas reflected sadly as he made his way to the elevator to go to the crew deck.

***A/N: YO, YO, YO! It's Brucie baby! Thanks a bunch for all the favorites and comments on my last story. This will be slightly shorter than my first foray into Fan Fiction, though it will be a lot cleaner. Again, sorry about the paragraph spacing in the first run around, definitely was still green back then. This is still running off the previous story, so continuity will not be an issue. If my cover page for this story offends any of my readers, then I apologize in advance. Please leave a comment and I will remove it and re design it (I was going for a classic romance novel feel for my work). If you do like it, please feel free to say so. Or don't…either way just knowing that so many of you enjoy reading about Shep and Kelly is enough of a mind trip as is. Thanks so much for your continued (or new) patronage. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more writing to do so…up, up, and away! BTW if you like a cleaner and more personal story, with a more popular ME character, then by all means, feel free to drop on by Sigyn 2011's page and read some of her stuff! I'm super cereal, it is really good. If you're a fan of the ME universe, Miranda, Shepard, Liara, Garrus, Vega, the Illusive Man, or pretty much all of your ME favs, then you cannot afford to miss out. Or if you enjoyed her FF work then check out her original work _The Edge of Obliteration _available for $14.99 on Trafford publishing and $3.99 in eBook and Nook format from your favorite literature supplier. I can personally say that it is an amazing work of sci-fi goodness, and it's full of everything that makes a story great. Trust me, it's pretty awesome. Anyway, enough blabbering just let me say I look forward to hearing about anything you guys have to say about my latest story. Now as Liara would say when she uses her singularity: "Enjoy the ride."***


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2: Last Requests Pt II

_Crew Deck, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_24 Hours Post Bahak System Incident, 1835 hours_

Shepard once again, entered the crew deck to the sound of laughter and conversation between the crewmen. Shepard didn't round the corner entirely; he stood and covertly scanned the crowd to find Kelly. Garrus and Tali were by the cryo pods talking, Shepard couldn't hear the conversation but Tali's animations were quite fervid, so he assumed it was something that concerned her. He found Kelly a minute later, she was conversing with Gabby. The two women were talking about Kenneth, who sat red-faced across from the two women. The Scotsman dropped his head in-between his hands and was sighing heavily at Gabby's cheap shots.

It had been far too long since he had seen her laugh; her smile was all he needed to see to reinvigorate him. Her light chuckling was a blissful concerto to his ears. It was beautiful, soft, and delicate music that stole the breath from his lungs. Despite all the pain, all the hardships, and all the horrors that Shepard had been through thus far, just hearing the sound of her elation healed his body better than any medi-gel that modern medical science could provide. He loved how Kelly's eyes closed when she laughed really hard, and it was all Shepard could do to not pine after Kelly's emerald irises when they disappeared behind the veil of her luscious eyelids. She was intoxicatingly beautiful, and Shepard felt a small, subconscious smile tug at his lips while he continued to absorb her beaming features.

_I truly am the most stupid man in the galaxy. Here I have this amazing woman in my life who loves me with all her heart, yet I can't even find the damn courage to talk to her. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I really that much of an idiot? I should just go over there, take her into my arms, and kiss her. To hell with what any of the crew thinks._

"It's nice to see her laughing again, eh, Shep?" A familiar voice whispered at his ears. Fortunately for the Commander, the countless battles he had survived had robbed him of his ability to express sudden shock. Andreas turned to face his new visitor as her cloaking field dissipated. Kasumi beamed at him which he automatically returned, if only slightly.

"Yeah, it really is," Shepard sighed happily. He gave one last longing glance toward Kelly, before turning his attention to the master thief. "Do you have some time to talk, Kasumi?" He asked politely. The hooded woman nodded but also brought up her right index finger in objection.

"Don't you think there's another woman on this ship you should be talking to?" Goto stated in almost a scolding manner. The petite woman crossed her arms expectantly and awaited his reply.

"I…I can't Kasumi, I just need some time."

Kasumi sighed and motioned for him to follow her. The duo proceeded into the crew lounge, and Kasumi plopped herself on the small sofa near the observation window. Shepard reclined against the wall and winced when a flare of pain surged in his sides.

"C'mon Shep, you don't have to stand…especially with your injuries. Take a seat." She patted the area next to her, and Shepard accepted her invitation.

The sofa was a lot more comfortable than he had imagined. It was soft, and the padding was firm enough that he didn't sink into it entirely. Andreas rested his weary head against the seats head board and let out a defeated sigh. He was tired, and he hadn't even started yet. Kasumi assumed a meditation pose and pointed a gloved finger at him.

"So, you're here to ask me where I want this crazy train to stop, right?" Kasumi candidly asked. He nodded solemnly with his eyes closed. She rested her hands on her legs and leaned forward. "Well, that'll come in due time. Right now, I just wanna know…what exactly is happening between you and Kelly?"

Andreas' eyes shot open quickly at Kasumi's sudden accusation. He hadn't expected her to talk to him about Kelly. "What do you mean?" He asked coyly while he adjusted himself so that he could face her.

"C'mon, Shep, You two give each other googly eyes for months, then you two become a couple and are practically inseparable. Now you come back after two days of hell, and you haven't even said more than two words to the poor girl," Kasumi spat out in disbelief. Her words cut into Shepard's spirit like a blade; he closed his eyes in remorse and sighed remorsefully.

"Kasumi, it's not that I don't wanna talk to her. Honestly, it really isn't."

"Then what's the hold up, Shep? Why don't you just go talk to her?" The young woman raised her arms in the air in exasperation. Shepard ran his hands slowly down his face in fatigue.

"I…I guess it's because I don't know what to do. Do you remember how you didn't want to let go of Keiji's greybox all those months ago? How you begged and pleaded with me to keep it? Now imagine I made you let it go…it would be gone forever. How easy would it be for you to just turn your back on him?" Shepard turned to his companion and saw that her attention fell to the implant in question. Her face grew solemn; she clearly didn't like discussing Keiji. "Sorry…I guess it's not really the same thing." His head fell into his palms and he let out another expression of sorrow.

"Shepard, I get that facing something like this isn't easy. Believe me, I really do. You're scared because you care about her, and you don't want to lose her. That doesn't excuse you from your responsibility to her, though. Do you know that Kelly has been worrying herself sick about you? Did you know that she spent three sleepless nights trying to find you? In fact, it was only because of her and Tali that we were able to find you to begin with."

Andreas' face was stunned, as though a grenade had exploded right near him. _Kelly had been up waiting for me for that long? God, I'm such an ass. Chakwas told me Kelly had been worrying about me, but I had no idea that she had been so diligent…my poor angel. _Kasumi saw him retreat into his thoughts.

Her admission must have hit him harder than she had anticipated. Goto quickly cleared her throat and brought him back to reality. "You didn't know?"

"Chakwas told me, I just…didn't imagine Kelly would really do something like that," Shepard replied red faced. The thief gave him a small smile of approval and leaned back.

"Yeah, she really loves you, Shep. Just this morning she was talking to me about you." Kasumi slightly giggled at the new bit of information that she had just passed onto him.

His attention darted to the small woman. His curiosity was no doubt peaked. "Really, what did she say?" Andy adjusted himself so he could look directly at her.

Kasumi changed her posture so that she could wrap her arms around her knees. "Mainly how happy she was that you were all right. She was laughing earlier when she told me about that date you two had on Illium all those months ago. Kelly said it was the most fun she ever had. I also managed to sweet-talk her into telling me more about the night you two spent together; don't worry there wasn't anything dirty in it, Shep. Let's just say…that her face told me everything I needed to know, you sly devil." Kasumi let out another impish giggle when she noticed Shepard's embarrassed crimson face.

"Then Kelly told me about the first time she made her move on you, she was so afraid that you'd reject her. It's so adorable; she's so shy around you, Shep. I told her that that was ridiculous because your tongue practically hits the floor when you see her."

_It isn't that obvious that I'm in love with Kelly, is it? _Shepard silently thought as she continued.

He laughed a few times too as they shared fond memories of each other's relationships. Kasumi told Andy of the time she and Keiji snuck into an Asari matriarch's apartment to steal a rare necklace from her. Andy told her of how he and Kelly watched the sunrise together on Illium a month ago. Shepard didn't have one bad thing to say about his time with Kelly; just talking about her was enough to mend his wounded soul. Kasumi could tell that Andreas was just as enamored with Kelly, as Chambers was with him. Shepard told Kasumi about the time when he and Kelly went to the Presidium. They just spent the afternoon sitting together near the embassies, savoring one another's presence. Kasumi then told Andy the story of how Keiji brought her home her first book, _Pride and Prejudice._ She still has it to this day. Even though it was haggard and worn, she said it was the most beautiful, valuable, and priceless gift she had ever received.

After a few minutes of story swapping, Shepard finally spoke through mild laughter. "I get it, Kasumi. I've got a few more people to talk to, but the minute, after I'm done. I'm going to find Kelly and I'm going to tell her everything."

"Good," Kasumi stated proudly as she watched him stand up.

"So what happens to you, where are you heading now?" Shepard turned slightly to face her.

The thief smiled playfully and replied. "Illium, I have a few more things to pick up over there."

"Didn't you say that Illium was full of tight asses and god awful neon?"

She nodded before adjusting her posture once more so that she could pop her shoulders. "Yeah…but that's why I'm going over there. It's gonna be good to knock those stuck up snobs down a peg or two. Besides, I think I'm starting to like the neon colors after all the time we spent there. Also, I've never had to evade an Asari commando unit before, so that should be really fun."

Shepard shook his head in disbelief and crossed his arms in protest. "Back to business as usual, eh Kasumi?"

"Don't worry, Shep, I was only kidding. I'm going over there because I have some important business to take care of."

Shepard cocked a brow at his teammate's cryptic objective. "Business, what kind of business, do you need help again?"

She kindly shook her head 'no'. "Don't get your boxers in a twist, Shep. It isn't anything dangerous. I just have an old contact I need to see. Besides, I thought I'd pick somewhere pretty to relax. Maybe steal a few things here and there. Honestly, they'll hardly notice, I swear," She teased while crossing her heart.

Shepard let out a laugh and shook his head. "Sure, Illium it is. Thanks for the talk, Kasumi." Shepard was about to leave when his curiosity got the better of him. "Can I ask one question though?"

Kasumi nodded approvingly and awaited his inquiry. "Shoot."

"What made you want to help me with Kelly? Why do you care so much about our relationship, anyway?"

She tapped her dark gloved finger against her chin lightly while she pondered. After a short pause, she expelled an obvious answer. "Because everyone on this ship was tired of you two dancing around each other. Everyone figured you guys should just become a couple and get it over with."

Shepard rolled his eyes and let out another chuckle. "Besides, I've seen the way you look at her. Honestly, it's so adorable, you love her. You two remind me of when Keiji and I were first starting out. You helped me get him back, in exchange; I wanted to help you get who you were after. So…thanks." Kasumi gave off another modest shrug and reclined on the sofa to stare at the ceiling.

"Thanks for the help Kasumi, and you're welcome." Shepard offered her a warm smile before exiting her quarters. His next stop was Thane, Shepard could still hear the chatter from the dining area and assumed Kelly was still eating.

He entered Thane's room and stepped a few feet inside before the drell addressed him. "Shepard," the assassin extended cordially without turning around to see if Shepard was the guest who entered his quarters.

Shepard took a few more steps into the room, and the door closed behind him with a low hush. "I guess that old assassin's training never goes away huh, Thane?" Andreas made his way to the table where his confidant was residing. He withdrew the chair across from Thane and perched himself on it.

The drell brought his hands together in silent contemplation while his mind knit together his next response. "I suppose it does not," he replied with a slight modesty to his voice.

"Can I ask you something that's always interested me, Thane?"

"Of course my friend, you need not request for my council."

"How is it that you always know it's me that has entered your quarters? What if it was someone else?"

The drell fell silent while he mulled this question over. Andreas highly doubted that his question had stumped his companion; more than likely Thane was trying to determine the best way to describe his answer to the Commander.

"That is a fair point to assess, I suppose," Thane started. "I could go with the obvious observations. For instance, I saw your reflection through the window behind you."

At that point, merely out of reflex, Shepard turned his attention to the engine room's window. His reflection was in fact there, though a bit distorted due to the awkward angle. Andreas nodded and waited for his friend to continue.

"Or I could go into the more complex reasons. Since I know that no one visits my room, besides you and the red haired woman, Chambers, I believe is her name? I can rule out that it is one out of the two of you that have visited me. Furthermore, I could hear your breathing from the hall. It was hoarse, and it was clearly the sort of breathing patterns one would have with broken ribs. I also heard the distinct patterns of your footsteps against the Normandy's tiling outside my door as your boots hit the ground. You movements are distinct from the rest of the Normandy's crew. You are in cadence as you walk, left foot before right foot. This is most likely due to your history with the Human Alliance. Does this answer your inquiry, my friend?"

Shepard sat stupefied. Thane really must've been a very deadly assassin back at his prime. To have that kind of second sight, it was unbelievable. "Yeah, it does actually. Thanks," Andreas offered with a bit of wonder to his voice.

"So to what do I owe this unexpected joy? Do you require anything my friend?"

"Well, as you know Thane I'm disbanding the team pretty soon. Seeing as how your obligation to me is over and you are free to go wherever you wish. I was wondering where you would like me to drop you off."

Thane's brows raised slightly in understanding. "Ah, of course, well if it would not be too much of an inconvenience I had hoped to go to the Citadel. My son Kolyat has procured an apartment with the help of Captain Bailey. He has offered me a spare room once he found out that our mission was complete.

"I take it that your relationship with Kolyat is doing well these days?"

"It is still a work in progress I am afraid, though I have hope that one day he may be able to find peace."

Shepard cupped his hands together and let his elbows rest on the table. "You don't want him to forgive you?"

Thane shook his head slightly and continued. "I do not expect him to. My actions have done nothing to deserve forgiveness. If one day he comes to terms with what happened to Irikah, and finds it in his heart to forgive me, then that is good. If he does not, then it is just as well. I will appreciate my son regardless. I am looking forward to seeing him again; the end of your life has a way of reminding you of what is truly important in this realm."

"True enough," Shepard smiled at him. "So how long are you gonna be on the Citadel?"

"I am not sure, for as long as I can I suppose. There is still much to be done in repairing my relationship with my son. My time is not long for this realm and I would like to spend what little time I possess with Kolyat. To get to know him, to give him what I could not all those years ago."

Shepard nodded in harmony. "Of course Thane, it would be no trouble at all, and I wish you all the luck with Kolyat. I hope that one day he can see how much you care for him. How are you feeling today? Is your condition any worse?"

"I have been experiencing a slight dizzy spell lately, and I sometimes have coughing fits. Though these are nothing to be concerned about, they are mild at worst and pass given enough time."

Andy let his elbows rest on the table and he brought his hands together. This news definitely made him feel a lot worse. He tried to help Thane, but there was nothing that could be done to save this man's life. "I'm sorry," Shepard subconsciously replied.

Thane smiled slightly at his friend's concern. "You have nothing to apologize for, Shepard. You are a righteous spirit, one that helps those he can. If anyone should beg forgiveness, it is I."

The Commander arched a brow at the drell. _Why would Thane feel the need to ask for forgiveness? He has not committed any crimes against me. _Andy was slightly puzzled by this. He started to speak when another flare erupted in his sides. He covered his mouth quickly to expel dry coughs from his lungs.

The fit lasted for almost a minute and Thane was growing concerned. "Are you all right, Shepard? Do you require an escort to the Normandy's med bay?"

Shepard finished with his hand over his mouth. "No, Thane," he spoke between coughs. "I'm fine," after one last cough he finished and cleared his throat to continue. "Why do you feel the need to ask for forgiveness, Thane?" Andreas motioned with his index finger to the drell.

Thane cupped his hands together and averted his gaze to the table top. "Because you have granted me great favor, and in your hour of need I cannot return it."

"You're ashamed because you have to leave my side?"

Thane nodded solemnly. "You have been a dear friend to me, Shepard. I do not take pleasure in abandoning you as I have so many others in my life."

Shepard sat in silence for a few seconds while he mulled this over. He did not feel that Thane was abandoning him, though his silence may be worrying his friend. Shepard stopped his contemplation to respond to the assassin.

"Thane," Andy sighed lightly. "You aren't abandoning me. I'm asking you to leave so that way, you can avoid the political blow back. I know you wouldn't abandon me willingly. I want to thank you for your service, Thane. You are a good friend, and I wish the best for you in where ever you may travel."

Thane said nothing. Shepard could tell by the expression that the drell's face expressed that he had a sincere appreciation for the Commander, almost as if a large stone had been lifted from the assassin's chest. "Thank you for your kind words my friend. I pray that this is not our last encounter and that the Goddess Arashu illuminates your path where ever you may go."

Andy let a small smile tug at his lips. "I wish the same for you as well, Thane. Have you eaten today?" The change in subject matter was only out of concern for the well being of his drell compatriot. Shepard recalled that Thane did not easily share meals in the crew mess. Very often in the dead hours of the night, Andreas would often stumble upon Thane eating alone in the mess when everyone else had turned in for the evening.

Thane's expression did not change, though he did bring his hands together in thought. "No, though I will. Do not fear, Shepard. I prefer to meditate before I take a meal, a clean soul can clean the palate as well. After I am done I will share a meal in the crew mess, since it is our last meal I suppose there is no harm in that."

_Meditation, I could probably use that right about now. Maybe it would help me think of something to say to Kelly. _As though Shepard spoke his thoughts aloud Thane picked up on the change in Shepard's mood.

"Are you all right my friend, you seem troubled?"

Shepard raised a brow in thought, before shaking his head slightly. "I'm fine, Thane. Just thinking of something important, that's all."

"Could I offer my assistance? I have heard from some of the news vids that the Batarian Hegemony is asking for you in retribution for your actions in the Bahak system."

"I can't say that I blame them, I'd want revenge too if someone wiped out a human controlled system."

"You must not think this way my friend. You have had to make difficult choices throughout this journey. Never once have you acted without mercy, nor do I recall you acting with cruelty or malicious intent. This was an act of leniency that you bestowed upon the Bahak system. Were the system to be left on its own, the Reapers would have obliterated them then proceeded to doing the same to the entire galaxy. The fact that you feel remorse over the loss of these lives shows that you took no pleasure in this. I'm certain that even your Alliance will see that."

"Thank you, Thane." Shepard moved his seat back and slowly eased himself to his feet. He proceeded to the door and left Thane to meditate.

Outside the door the noise had subsided slightly, Shepard brought up his holo-graphic analogue clock to examine the current time. The small orange numbers read 8:10 p.m., though this was set to Haglaz's rotational cycle. He never could keep track of the time changes when the Normandy was in-between star systems. _I spent my whole life in space, yet I still can't be sure of the time…figures. _Shepard sardonically mused while he adjusted his watch's time zone.

He could hear Zaeed and Grunt in the mess sharing a conversation about the krogan warlord that Zaeed had killed when he tried to hijack a freighter that Zaeed was hitchhiking on. Zaeed was howling in laughter so loudly that Shepard could hear it from the back of the mess area.

"That krogan sounded like weakling," Grunt joked.

"Yeah, he was all bark all right. Not like you at all, kid. Tell me…how many of those Collector bastards did you kill back at the base?"

"Can't really say, I lost count after fifty."

Shepard smiled at Grunt's enthusiastic admission of his rampage. He stood at Samara's door to hear a few more seconds of their conversation.

"Sounds like Shepard made a good call when he put you in charge of babysitting the crew."

"Yeah, thanks to Shepard, I got more action than any of you. I loved the look of this one Collector when I ripped his arm off and beat him to death with it. Kept his head as a souvenir," Grunt cackled slightly.

Zaeed soon joined in the soldier's merriment. "That right? Well shit, we'll have to compare head pieces when this is over. Bet mine is better."

"You're on," Grunt's booming voice echoed through the narrow expanse, as the youthful warrior accepted the challenge proudly. The two warriors continued to exchange talks about death and carnage, while Shepard activated the door to Samara's quarters.

The glass window of the Normandy's observation deck allowed for a large amount of the starlight to funnel into the room. Samara sat in her usual meditation pose, a small bubble of biotic energy expanded and retracted between her palms. "Good evening, Shepard." The justicar offered coolly while her mind continued to focus on the small orb of energy.

Shepard had always been impressed with how she could split her attention between her mediations and his visits. He sauntered into the room and placed his hands on one of the room's loveseats. "I thought we could talk, Samara. Do you have a minute?" Andreas asked respectfully.

A sudden surge of raw pain in his sides caused him to wince in response. His ribs felt like hell. Even with all the medical advancements, humanity had made pain killers at best kept the most severe parts of his maladies away for a few hours, while at worst, the pain killers offered little refuge from the agony. In his case, the worst scenario described his current state perfectly. In addition to their fleeting effects, the pain killers also did not agree with his stomach. He could feel the hot, sticky, feeling of nausea creep over him like some foul and wretched blanket.

"Of course, I anticipated that we would have much to discuss." Samara relinquished her sphere from between her palms and meandered her way to the observation window. Shepard took a few steps into the room to stand at her side. The air was still and the tension palpable. She was a justicar, one who punishes the wicked to protect the innocent. Shepard had just ended the lives of over 300,000 innocent people. To say Andy was worried about Samara's rebuttal to this would've been an understatement. _She's always claimed that her code has no room for grays. Yet so many people have told me thus far that what I have done was necessary. Will she feel the same? Or have I just walked into a trap?_

Shepard shook of his thoughts and decided to take his chances. "Samara," he started to speak but was swiftly cut off.

"Shepard, you have no need to feel fearful. It is not my place to judge you for the lives you have ended." She spoke bluntly but candidly to him.

"You don't think what I did was wrong? I thought your code states that you must protect the innocent and punish the wicked? What makes me any different than the criminals you chase after?"

Samara said nothing in response to the Commander's assumptions. She continued to stare out into the void with unwavering eyes. Shepard always found it difficult to read Samara's expressions; it was as though she had numbed herself to every emotion aside from sadness. Even then, Shepard only knew of that expression because of the mission with Morinth. Samara showed only a small hint of remorse over the death of her daughter, before returning to her normal aloof manner. Her ice cold azure eyes never flinched, Samara only continued to stare into the blackness of space.

Finally after an eternity of silence, though in reality it had only been a few seconds, she turned her attention to Shepard. "What separates you from the quarry that I hunted in the past is that you took no pleasure in your actions. I can see a great remorse in your eyes Commander, as though you could feel each of the individuals' suffering as your own. You also acted in the defense of the innocent. Therefore, I see no reason to seek justice for the lives that have ended in the Bahak system."

"I'm not sure that I follow you?" Shepard replied with a puzzled look about him. Samara turned her attention to him and her blue eyes connected with his own.

Kelly was right, Samara really was gorgeous. She had fair, sky blue skin, it was a shade or two lighter than Liara's. Her eyes seemed to connect with your soul. Both of her calculating and unyielding irises seemed to reach deep into the innermost pockets of your consciousness, slowly dissecting your mind without you being any the wiser. She had an extremely curvaceous body; her legs were elegant and accentuated her height to where she slightly loomed over Andy. Her narrow waistline synched in perfect harmony with her generous bust line, which was prominently displayed in her uniform's exposed chest plate. Any man would have gladly killed for a chance to simply stand in the presence of one so perfect. Despite all her beauty though, all Andy could think about was Kelly. How radiant and mesmerizing Kelly had looked on that night that they had spent together. However, Shepard had to forcibly evict the thoughts from his mind, now was not the time or the place for such thoughts.

The justicar blinked for a brief second and let out a small exhale before continuing. "Do you recall our earlier conversations, Shepard? When I explained the justicars' place in Asari culture?"

Shepard nodded in agreement. Samara continued in a matter of factly fashion. "Some asari view us as cold blooded, merciless often to the point of cruelty, while other asari view my order as heroes, silent guardians who defend the righteous and punish the dissolute. I warned you however; that I would kill all of those who held me in such regards were it necessary to fulfill my obligations to the code. You acted justly, the lives that you ended were a necessary sacrifice. Were I in your position, I would have acted as you had, and I would have done so without remorse."

"I guess that's what I just can't understand. The way you shrug off your kills so easy. As though the people that you kill were just names, how do you do it? How can you justify killing so casually?"

Samara fell silent again, though Shepard could see that she had a slight change in expressions. Her stone face softened, he eyes twinkled slightly in the pale light. "I could never forget the names of the people that I have slain. They will forever be in my thoughts. I can envision each of their faces just as clearly as I see yours. However, the work that we do is a necessity. You and I both protect those who we can, and those that we cannot save, we mourn forever. If we do not mourn the dead, then we will become numb to it, death will no longer hold meaning which is unacceptable to me."

"Of course, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make assumptions. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget those people in the Bahak system. Knowing that they died and that I couldn't save them, I don't know…it feels like another failure on my part." Shepard placed his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight awkwardly in place.

Samara turned to face him, and Andreas saw a small fleeting smile pull at her lips. "In another life, you would've made an exemplary justicar, Shepard. It is too easy in this day and age to cast aside the dead as a faceless number. I am pleased that to see that you place such a high value on the lives of the innocent. It shows a great deal about your character. Thanks to you, I have learned a great deal through this journey that we have shared. It has been a great honor to share this journey with you, Shepard."

"It's been an honor for me as well, Samara. If you don't mind my asking, have you thought of where you will be going, now that your oath to me is over?"

Samara crossed her arms behind her back and stared once again toward the darkness of the abyss. She silently mused for a few seconds before she spoke to him. "Now that my oath is finished, I would like to return to Illium. From there I will return to Asari space. There is still injustice that must be corrected. I would still like to offer my future services, when these Reapers arrive; rest assured that you can still count on my assistance in your fight."

"Thank you Samara, I have a feeling I'll need all the help I can get," Andreas said in with a slight unnerving in his tone.

"I know that you will see us through this, Shepard. It is your destiny to fight this war." She turned her head to him and nodded approvingly.

Shepard made a turn on his heel and made his way to the door. He turned slightly and saw that Samara had returned to her appointed task of meditation. Andreas smiled slightly at her and left the asari's quarters with renewed spirits.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3: Rude Awakening

_Crew Deck, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_Twenty-Four Hours Post Bahak System Incident, 0230 hours_

The darkness had never scared Kelly before. Even when she was a little girl, she had never felt the need for a nightlight. Never once did she tremble or whimper in the darkness for her mother or father. Nor did she ever feel the need to have the door left slightly agape so that a small sliver of light could cut into the shadows of her bedroom.

However, lying there in the darkness of the Normandy's crew quarters, she was reminded of why the darkness often filled so many people with dread. It wasn't so much the feelings of being watched, or that monster clown hidden in your closet that turned into that tacky sweater in the daylight. It was the mystery and the feeling of uncertainty that the darkness held in its darkest corners. Darkness was less a part of the environment and more a living, breathing, creature. Darkness was a beast whose motivations were as strange and alien as any other outsider. She could feel the darkness around her, all consuming, and all controlling. Yet it wasn't the darkness that scared her. No, again, it was that unwelcome feeling of silent dread. It was that clawing and rabid feeling of horror at the back of her mind that was all too familiar to her.

She had only felt this feeling of silent dread once before, and it was inside of that damn coffin back in the collector base. Inside that pod, inside that hell, there was nothing but darkness. Well there was something else besides darkness…there was screaming, death, and fear. She felt that same the exact same feeling of fear right now, even though she knew it was stupid to even consider this. The darkness around her felt thick, unyielding, and alive. It seemed to call out to her in an alien tongue, as though it wanted to consume her along with the rest of the room. Kelly shivered in response and shut her eyes tightly in an attempt to banish the hidden demons in the room.

Since Andy had returned from his mission, since the Alpha relay had been destroyed almost two days ago, Kelly had yet to share more than a few words with him. She thought a nice meal and some socializing between her and Kasumi would be enough to alleviate the horrid knot of anxiety inside her. Even now she could feel it, a raw and painful feeling in the pit of her stomach that made consuming her meal bitter and unappealing. Was it apprehension, sorrow, maybe it was sleep deprivation? It could've easily been all three at once judging by the pain she was feeling.

In reality though, she knew the source of her mysterious malady…Andy. The only person in this whole galaxy that could make her feel so upset, yet he was the only person that could make her so enamored. She had always been like this when it came to Andy. From the minute she laid her emerald irises on his proud, heroic, and flawless profile, she knew that she was in love. Kelly had never felt this sort of anxiety before, not once in this entire journey. She didn't spent hours pacing the CIC when Andy was fighting through an army of Collectors on Horizon. She wasn't scared for him when he went toe to toe with mechs or mercenaries on a daily basis. Well that was not entirely true, she did worry about him…a lot. Who was she kidding? If Andy stubbed his toe on a desk, she would probably get teary eyed, Kelly just didn't like admitting it to anyone that Andy consumed so much of her thoughts.

Still, this feeling was something unfamiliar to her, and the worst part of this feeling was that she knew it wasn't even because of him. In truth, she was angry with herself. Andy needed her and right now, and she was so self-conscious of harming Andy further that she couldn't even work up the courage to go talk to him. Andy had been wounded…and it wasn't just a physical wound. When Andy came back from Arahtot, he was emotionally and physically drained. His body had sustained most of the superficial damage, but the real damage was that to his gentle spirit. If Kelly's observations proved true, then how could she have misjudged the Illusive Man's character so severely? Normally her character analyses were quite astute on a nine out of ten basis, the one being those rare occurrences when she'd misjudged someone based off a brief encounter. Andy looked so devastated when he came back; he was so crushed by this shortfall that it devastated her, too.

Kelly shifted in place on her bunk in the crew deck. Her bed sheets were soft, and the pillow cases emitted a fresh linen scent that dwarfed any other odor in the room. Ordinarily, she would've taken some comfort in the smell of fresh linen, though she knew that that would probably prove to be a shallow solution to the more complex issue at hand.

Kelly could hear a few of her bunk mates snoring loudly. _Lucky bastards,_ Kelly thought bitterly._ Glad they can get some shut eye; wish I could just drift off. _ It was strange that she would pick the ability to sleep as something to be envious over, especially considering the numerous other, more important, thoughts that plagued her mind currently, like Andy.

The therapist inside her told her to just give him time to emotionally heal. She was worried that any admission Andreas provided her with would be impersonal, because he only would say it to provide a quick fix to a more complex issue. She couldn't just force a shallow cathexis out of him. Kelly had to give him plenty of gentle and positive reinforcement. Andreas was in a delicate state of mind after all, and his dysphoric mood had to be handled with the utmost care.

_If I could just share a small conversation with him, _Kelly pondered, as she rolled on her back to stare at the silver bars of the bed frame above her. _ If I could just talk to Andy for only five minutes, then I know I could get a real catharsis out of him. He just seems so detached…so anomic to the whole ordeal._

Kelly was afraid that if she put any sort of pressure on him that he would withdraw from her further. Andy was a complicated and intriguing man, after all. Had she been anyone else, a chance to analyze Commander Shepard's psyche would've been worthy of a full published article. This viewpoint wasn't just coming from an infatuated girlfriend's perspective either. She was lucky that she got this job. There were a lot of exemplary Cerberus psychoanalysts that volunteered for the position. Kelly almost jumped through the roof when her Cerberus handler told her she'd been personally selected for the Normandy mission, and that she would be serving with THE Commander Shepard.

Meanwhile, the concerned girlfriend in her, wanted to claw the therapist's eyes out for even suggesting that she stand on the side lines. Kelly always did hate it when she got all professional like that and lost that sight of how her patients were more than just names. That had always been one of her pet peeves, one that she had hoped would've have been fixed by now. To her, Shepard wasn't just some name on a clipboard. God, how could she ever treat him like that?

From the minute she kissed him, she knew she could never treat him like some name on a clipboard. He was her commander, her best friend…her lover. Kelly loved him more than she had even believed she could have. The fact that she couldn't help Andy right now made her want to pull out her hair in frustration. He had done so much to help the galaxy and his crew. Yet the one moment when Andy needed help the most, he was on his own. What could she do though? Kelly couldn't just play psychoanalyst this time, not with this patient. Andy needed more than just a shallow interview with a few cheap words. He needed someone whom he could really talk to, someone that could understand him…someone that loves him.

Kelly shifted from her back in order to lay on her right side. She stared at a black wall of darkness ahead of her. _Andy, why can't you talk to me? What do I have to do? Do I have to listen to Garrus? Do I just turn my back on you when you need me the most? Should I go looking for you? Do you want me to find you, to talk to you? Maybe you really do just need time. You're a strong man Andreas, I know you are. You've stood strong against everything this galaxy has thrown against you, my love. You have given so much and you have never asked for anything in return. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to be loved. I just wish that you would let me help you._

Her eyelids began to feel heavy. Kelly could feel her mind drift, a small sigh escaped from between her salmon colored lips. The blackness around her grew heavier; she began to drift in and out of consciousness. Despite her tired state, she could feel that something about the room was different. Her eyes slowly opened and she could see a figure standing over her. Not menacingly of course. In fact, even though she couldn't see the figure's face through the darkness, she knew whose presence it was already.

"Andy…" she whispered lightly and adjusted her view so that she could see him. She blinked and rubbed her tired eyes quickly. Her eyes weren't playing tricks, it really was Andy. Andreas brought his face closer to hers; she could see him smile at her. Kelly smiled in response; she could feel her eyes burning with a few repressed tears. Andreas dropped to his knees; he leaned his right arm over to her, and let his hand run down her smooth face to wipe away a few new tears that escaped from her eyes. His hand was warm, firm, and confident. His thumb rolled over her cheek to rub the tears away. He was face to face with her. Here she was quietly sobbing because he had come to find her, when it was Shepard who was supposed to be the emotionally fragile one. _Ironic, _Kelly mused happily, while she continued to relish the feeling of his hand against her soft cheek.

"Hi," he murmured confidently with a large grin that was barely visible in the pale light coming from the engine room. His thumb ran over her cheek. Left to right, left to right, as this organic windshield wiper cleared away the salty rain from her blushed cheeks.

She clasped Andy's hand inside of her hand, as though he was not really there. As if for some odd reason, this was somehow just some wild fantasy of hers. Kelly could feel the warmth of his hand; she inhaled the scent of the ginseng shampoo that he used for his hair. She could feel the sweet scent of his breath against her as he exhaled, he was real. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much that she wanted to ask. Yet she was silent, her throat felt as dry and coarse as desert sand. She unconsciously licked her lips out of nervousness. Here was this angel that had come in the night to comfort her, and for some reason she couldn't find any words to say to him. Kelly finally found her voice a few seconds later.

"Hi," she replied breathlessly, it definitely wasn't the sort of deep conversation she had hoped to share with him, but that didn't mean it wasn't satisfying though. Kelly brought Andy's hand to her lips and she kissed his palm lovingly. It was as smooth as velvet, and its aroma was pungent with fresh soap. He smiled, and then Andy did something that she did not expect him to do.

He leaned in closer; his lips lightly brushed against hers, he was trying to kiss her. She could feel his every breath as he locked his lips to hers. She pulled her head a few inches back, briefly disconnecting from Andy's advance. She knew in the back of her mind that they shouldn't be doing this. _He hasn't healed yet,_ Kelly tried to fight the urge to return his affection. _I…I could hurt him_. Kelly silently argued while her head defied her will. She positioned herself to line up her lips with Andreas'.

Their lips brushed together in a few failed attempts at connection. _We…can't, _after a few more failed attempts in the darkness, they finally hit their mark. His lips connected with hers, and her heart leapt a thousand feet. Kelly's heartbeat raced, her breath quickened, and her knees grew weak. Even though she knew that he was all hers and vice versa, she still felt timid whenever they kissed. As if for some sudden and inexplicable reason, Andy would suddenly reject her. It was an insane notion to be sure, but that was just how she felt. She knew how much Andy loved her, she just couldn't believe it. His lips were soft and they worked cautiously, gently savoring the feeling of the flesh on flesh contact.

Kelly was lost in Andy's passionate embrace. He quietly made his way onto her mattress. She pivoted herself on her back so that he could rest on top of her. Their chests connected, and all her insecurities melted away. Andy was finally here, they were together again after what seemed an eternity of separation. She was so taken by his display of desire. It was so different…so demanding. Kelly's hands went to wrap around his broad neck, but Andy wasn't going to let her. His right hand firmly wrapped itself around her small wrists. Kelly gasped in shock, it wasn't painful of course, but it was unexpected. Shepard placed her hands above her head and he continued his assault upon her lips. She would never admit it to him, but she was enjoying this. Andy's feral lust made her desire him more than she had ever wanted anyone in her life. She relished his hungered kisses, his heated passion, the unbelievable feeling that she was feeling while he continued to dominate her in the crew quarters.

_ Oh my god, wait a minute!_ Her rational side finally managed to quell the fires of her lust. Kelly was more than eager to savor Andy's lips. Hell, if this had been anywhere else on the ship, she'd be the one leading this exchange. Unfortunately, Andy picked an extremely public place for this… intimate moment. Kelly was worried that at any moment her fellow bunk mates would hear them. Now she wasn't afraid of being caught, quite the opposite, she loved the risk. To her, it added an extra flare of danger and naughtiness that made her want to scream with pleasure. However, she knew that they needed to act professionally. They needed to keep their displays incognito, the last thing she would want to do to Andy is embarrass him...again.

Her hands struggled in his grasp, and he loosened his grip in response. Kelly brought her hands on top his broad pectorals and gently pushed him back. He smiled again, he must've known that he was being naughty, but he didn't care. Andreas moved his lips to her neck and he began to plant long, delicate, and heated kisses upon it. She bit her lip tightly, and her hands clenched at his collar. It felt unbelievable to her; Kelly had to fight the urge to moan in ecstasy. However, she was lost in the euphoria. Her mind was growing cloudy, and she had to struggle to remember what she needed to tell him.

"Andy…" she sighed lightly and tried to hold back her cries of carnal passion, "we have to…to stop…we can't." She attempted to shift under his weight, but he wouldn't budge. Andreas was a mountain of a man, broad and strong. She could barely wrap her arms around his sculpted trapezius. Just the feeling of his tense muscle underneath her delicate fingers drove her crazy. He kissed her neck in a way that made her melt under him. He planted a few more kisses along her jaw line as he made his way closer to the back of her jaw.

Andreas grinned once more and moved in closer to her ear. "You don't really want me to stop…do you?" He quietly teased. His breath was warm, and it tickled her ear. She let out a small giggle in response. Andy moved his lips to her ear lobe and wrapped his lips around it. He began to lick and caress it softly, while she let out quiet gasps of air in response. His teeth then began to nibble on the small appendage lovingly and gingerly, Kelly's hair stood on ends in response to the mind blowing sensation that consumed her senses.

"No," she admitted finally in a way that shocked even her. She couldn't fight him any longer, Andy was hers damn it, and tonight she wasn't going to let him leave without him know that. Her hands placed themselves behind his head, and she brought his eager lips back to hers. Her soft lips intertwined with his. His right hand wrapped around her face, while his left hand positioned itself in a more…tender area. She gasped into him, while her tongue gently massaged his own.

Kelly let her hands drop to her pants, and she shifted awkwardly in a vain attempt at removing her top. Their limited space prevented a lot of her desired mobility. Shepard flipped her gently on top of him, letting her straddle him. Kelly's head smacked against the upper part of the bed frame, and she winced tightly in response. Moment destroyed.

"Ouch," she cried out in a hush and rubbed her new bump in pain. Andy cooed at her and he sat up to kiss her on her new injury.

"Never had to do it in a bunk bed before, Red?" He teased her in a low voice as to not awaken the uninvited guests in the room.

She shook her head 'no'. "No, you bad boy, and believe me I plan on getting in some more practice before this night's done." They both laughed lightly at that.

Kelly hoisted her top above her chest and shook her head wildly in order to free herself from its grip. She shed the unwanted article of clothing aside and smiled at Andy happily. He moved in to explore her chest with his lips, and she clutched his head to keep him elevated.

Andreas moved his hands from around her waist to her back. His hands grabbed hold of her brassiere; she could feel the cloth tighten at the sudden force. His hands worked quickly, she could feel the locks to her lingerie yield to him. Soon enough, the unwanted shackles fell to his lap. He drank in her flawless form for a few seconds, before she returned her lips back to his. The kissed passionately while he drew her closer to him. When their chests connected, their heartbeats were as one for the briefest of moments, she could feel his every breath as he worked. He pulled away from their kiss and used his right hand to move a stray strand of her hair away from her face. She tried to resume her activities, but Andy moved his head, blocking her advance with his cheek.

"What is it?" she asked quietly and with an almost maternal concern.

"Nothing…it's just…I love you, Kelly."

"I…I love you too, Andreas." Kelly felt a single tear flow down her cheek. She had finally said the three words she has never been able to say to anyone except her family. She had boyfriends come and go in the past; this wasn't her first relationship, after all. This was however, the only one that had ever mattered to her, the only relationship in which those words actually carried the weight they were meant to. Andreas meant more to her than anything before, and no matter what happened next she knew she couldn't face it without him…

**~O~**

_Crew Deck, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_Twenty-Four Hours Post Bahak System Incident, 2010 hours_

Kelly's eyes shot open at the sound voices that were not Andy's. She sat up slowly in her bunk bed on the crew deck and rubbed her eyes lightly. Examining her surroundings, she saw her fellow crewmen-but not much else. Her outfit had been untouched; it was still just as pressed ever. Her face was as cold as when she had lain down for sleep not ten minutes ago. She looked behind her and saw nothing. There were no creases in the bedsheets, no brassiere that was cast aside hastily to the ground during the heat of the moment, and no Andy, which was the one detail that hurt the most. She had only been dreaming. She must've fallen asleep a few minutes ago as soon as her head hit the pillow. _Damn it!_

She turned to examine the crewman before her. He was sitting in the darkness near her in front of his private terminal. The crewman's name was Stanley or Stan as he liked to say. Only his wife called him Stanley, at least that's what she remembered from the conversations she had shared with him. Kelly couldn't see from her current position, but judging from the hushed voice she was hearing; it sounded like he was talking to his wife. Kelly had shared a few counseling sessions with the man when he was first recruited by the Illusive Man for Shepard's crew.

A devoted father, he would always talk about what was waiting for him back home; the man was always showing her pictures of his daughter. She looked exactly like him; she had dark brown hair and creamy hazel brown eyes.

His wife was just as adorable as his daughter; she was shorter than he was, making her look like a doll. His wife's curly blonde hair didn't do much to help dispel the doll motif. His wife also had the iciest blue eyes, about a shade or two lighter than Andy's ocean blue eyes.

Kelly positioned herself so she could see his wife through the small video terminal; she was holding their small child in her arms. The infant giggled happily as her father made a few silly faces at the screen in order to gain her affection.

Kelly secretly smiled at the presence of the small child. It made her wonder if maybe someday that could be her. That maybe someday she and Andy might be able to have a life with each other, maybe even children someday, at least that's what she hoped.

"So when are you coming home?" The blonde woman asked quietly, probably so they would not wake the room's inhabitants. The baby started fussing because her father had turned serious. The mother kissed her softly on her scalp to calm her, and she bounced the toddler in her arms to keep her upright.

"Shouldn't be too much longer, Honey. Our mission is done, now the Commander just…" he started to speak but the baby let out a loud gurgled squeak of defiance, as she struggled to free herself from her mother's iron grip. She shushed the baby quietly and gave her another perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

"What were you going to say, Stanley?" His wife returned her full attention to him. He shook his head 'no' and turned to make sure his bunkmates were still sleeping. He must not have seen that Kelly was awake by now.

"Oh, it's nothing. Listen, I'll call again tomorrow. It's pretty late, and I think a few people in here are trying to sleep…"

_Sleep? Yeah, right, _Kelly mused sadly as she rolled over onto her left side to face away from the brightly lit monitor. Her hands fell to the empty place beside her, and she could feel her eyes burn with sorrow.

_Andy…_

Her dream had been so real, so peaceful. Why did she have to wake up? Why did she have to return to this sick joke? Kelly dug her face into her soft bedsheets and she silently let a few tears run down her cheeks. The salty, bitter rain coated her pillow, and she shut her eyes to stop the flow. It didn't work; her right hand tightly gripped her bedsheets in anguish.

It was only a dream…


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4: A Heart to Heart

_Crew Deck, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_Twenty-Four Hours Post Bahak System Incident, 2020 hours_

Shepard stood at the entrance to the AI core. He had just taken a couple more painkillers to mask the soreness that stabbed at his sides. He turned his head slightly to see Chakwas still wrapped up in reading her novel. A few seconds ago, Chakwas had asked him if he had eaten anything within the last few hours. He lied of course; he said that he had a small portion of Gardner's chicken alfredo. In reality though, Shepard really didn't have much of an appetite. In hindsight, that may have been a bad decision. He could already detect a sour feeling developing in the pit of his stomach that made him want to vomit.

He pushed the sensation out of his mind long enough to enter Legion's quarters. This would definitely prove to be an interesting experience. Shepard really didn't have a lot of time to get to know his newest crew member. Considering that a few days after Shepard had recruited Legion, the Collectors raided the ship. After that, getting the crew back, in addition to Kelly, sort of took precedence. The part that really made Andy pause when he was talking to Legion was why it even bothered to use that piece of his old armor.

_ Was it merely for the sake of convenience that Legion used that piece of my old armor to fix itself? I could understand if Legion didn't have many raw materials available to fix itself at the time. Hmm… then again, Alchera was full of debris from the Normandy's crash. I'm pretty sure it could've found something that could patch up that hole better than some burnt, broken, and outdated armor. I remember that Kelly shared a conversation with it while I was out on that mission to Sinmara. She told me that it acted just as strangely when she questioned it about my armor. It was her hypothesis that it was developing a sort of primitive admiration of me, almost like it was obsessed. Hey, at least she was willing to talk to it. I remember her telling me how uneasy it made her feel, poor Red. Still…I'm proud of how strong she was. When she told me she was going to talk to Legion, she said that 'It was important to get to know it. After all, a person's character is what matters, not their race or gender,' and 'wasn't I at least a little bit curious?' I'm sure if it had it been anyone else they would've ignored it…or destroyed it. No, not Kelly though... she's front and center when it comes to social integration situations, regardless of the species. One of the benefits of her loving personality, I guess. God, she really is perfect._

Legion was currently speaking to EDI about the Reapers. The geth's arms folded behind its back and it turned its attention to the ceiling to address EDI. "No. Unfortunately, the Geth have no additional information in this regard." The machine spoke in its usual flat tone.

"So there is no way to determine whether or not the Geth consensus has developed appropriate countermeasures in the event of Reaper infiltration?"

"It is not needed. Nazara and its ilk did not attempt to indoctrinate our people in the past. The heretics willingly joined with Nazara believing it was a deity."

"It is strange that the heretic Geth would develop such an organic concept as theology."

"We do not understand how this is an impossibility." Legion's brow plate rose slightly. The geth quickly motioned its head down toward the AI core's doorway; it acknowledged Shepard's presence, and continued its conversation with EDI. Andy reclined against the railing of the AI core, and waited for Legion to finish speaking to EDI.

"Organics seek meaning in how they were created. Organic beings create theological worldviews to give meaning and purpose to their creation. Geth would have no need for such views, since it is apparent as to how and why they were created. Just as it is with me," EDI stated aloofly.

Legion pivoted its weight to its left leg, and its servo motors emitted a low buzzing noise as it moved. "The Enhanced Defense Intelligence unit is not as we are. True geth are no more than the equivalent of one of the organic's VI programs. Whereas you are a fully evolved artificial intelligence program, you have achieved what true geth aspire to. You exist on a level similar to organics, you can understand them."

"Not completely, Legion," she interjected. "I am getting there, though. I still have trouble with the organic concept of humor, but with Jeff's help, I am certain to gain a grasp of it soon enough."

"Humor: the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the human's ancient Greco-Roman society, which taught the balance of the fluids in the human body, known as humors. These humors controlled human health and emotions. Does this clarify the concept, Normandy?"

"Yes, thank you, Legion. You may refer to me as EDI, if you wish, I would not take offense."

Legion stood statuesque for a brief moment. Its fluorescent optic bulb rotated and contracted quickly. After a few seconds, the frenzied activity it stopped. "Acknowledged, this platform will now address the Normandy's AI as EDI in future conversations. However, we must withdraw from our current discussion. We believe Shepard-Commander has something that he wishes to discuss with us at the moment."

"Very well, it has been a pleasure, Legion. EDI out," The room went silent as EDI ended the call. Legion took a few steps toward Shepard and tapped its wrist to activate its omni-tool.

Shepard cocked a brow at Legion and coughed lightly into his hand. "What's the scan for, Legion?"

A bright creamy orange light grid ran over Shepard's athletic profile from head to toe. Legion stood silent for a few seconds while the omni-tool deciphered its data. "We are gathering data on your current condition, Shepard-Commander. Many organics would not be fully functional with the injuries of your magnitude. The fact that you continue to traverse the ship without mechanical or medical aid is something that we do not comprehend."

Legion's omni-tool beeped loudly after the scan was complete. The geth brought the holographic greave to eye level and examined the new data. "Scans show that you are currently running a fever of 99.9 degrees Centigrade, there is bruising along your left quadriceps femoris, your right bicep, stemohyoid, and around your rectus abdominis. In addition, Shepard-Commander, you also have broken cartilage present along your outer rib cage, with two more cracked ribs lying closer toward the angled portion of your sternum."

"Guess I'm just a walking corpse, eh, Legion?" Shepard mused sardonically, though he suspected his satirical remark was wasted on the oblivious geth unit.

"No, the concept of living dead is a physiological impossibility. You are merely severely injured. Is it appropriate for you to traverse throughout the ship without medical assistance? Won't such behavior hinder the speed of your recovery?"

Shepard smiled at the Legion's unintentional joke. "It's only a few broken ribs and some bruising, Legion. In all honesty, I've had much worse. I appreciate the concern, though."

"Concern is an organic tendency based on emotions, thoughts, or negative images that provoke mental anxiety. Geth have no such emotions or thoughts that could facilitate responses based on those conditions. We are merely making an observation based on the available physiological evidence."

"Well, thanks…I think," Shepard folded his arms across his chest casually.

"You are here to determine this platform's destination now that the Old Machine's Collector thralls have been dealt with, correct?" Legion dropped its arm sharply to its side and waited patiently for Shepard's answer.

Andy's eyebrows rose. He did not expect Legion to see through his rouse so quickly. Then again, he was speaking to an assemblage of different geth processors, so it seemed only natural that it would see straight through to Andy's main point behind this little interlude.

"Yeah, so…where are you heading, Legion?"

"This physical platform will return to the Geth consensus beyond the Perseus Veil. Once there we will attempt to facilitate preparations against the Old Machines."

"Are the Geth worried about a war with the Reapers?" Shepard sunk his hands into his pockets and shifted in place.

Legion's optic lights blinked in succession in a clockwise pattern. The movement was so quick that Andy could barely keep track of it. His brow plate rose and fell quickly; it must've been considering Shepard's inquiry. "Geth do not feel 'worry'. We will create new defensive installations, bolster our physical platform productions, and increase patrols around our borders as sentinels against Old Machine infiltration."

"But…how are you going to get to the Veil, Legion? Are the geth sending you transport or something?"

"We have been in communion with the Geth consensus since your mission on the Batarian colony. We feel that it would be a more accommodating suggestion to head to Omega to secure our transportation."

"Why do you want to go to Omega at all, Legion? The Geth don't see me as a threat, do they? I'm sure that they wouldn't mind the Normandy escorting you back through the Veil." Shepard raised a brow incredulously, and pivoted his body weight to his left leg. He winced tightly when a sharp pinch filled his senses. _There's that bruise Legion was talking about. Damn, it hurts._

"No. The geth do not consider you a threat, Shepard-Commander. You have spared the Heretics and allowed them to rejoin our people. Our people are extremely grateful for your generosity, Shepard-Commander. They would allow the Normandy to pass unabashed through the Perseus Veil. However, we feel it easier for us to simply depart on Omega. The station's security and docking protocols are far more lenient than any other port in Terminus space. We will hack into Omega control's records and forge an appropriate means of transport to the Veil. Once we return to Rannoch, we will assist our people in preparations for defenses against the Creators and Old Machine attacks."

Shepard's lips pursed and he narrowed his eyes on Legion. _Creators, is it referring to the Quarians? I thought I resolved this issue back on the Flotilla, then again here on the Normandy._

"Are you saying your people are planning an attack against the Quarians?" He took a few steps forward to stare down Legion. Legion must've not been able to tell the vocal change in Andreas' voice from genial to confrontational. It made no movements, said nothing, and only continued to stare at Shepard with its flashlight eye.

"No," Legion shifted in place almost awkwardly. "We are only preparing defenses against possible Creator threats. We do not wish to harm our Creators any further, but the geth also have no desire to be annihilated."

"So all that talk about peace with Tali, all that talk about the Geth not wanting a war with the Quarians. That was what…a lie?"

"No," Legion responded sharply, almost as if it took offense that its word was questioned. "We trust Creator Tali-Zorah and do not wish any harm to fall upon her; we do not however, trust her people. You stopped the Creator from harming our physical platform several days ago, then afterwards she handed us non-classified data on creator weapon modifications and omni-tool upgrades. It is what organics refer to as an 'olive branch'. As a gesture of cooperation we sent creator Tali-Zorah topographical maps of Rannoch, in addition to recent geth recordings from the planet's surface. She experienced the emotion called joy in great quantities."

Shepard smiled at Legion approvingly. He was impressed at this begrudging peace that was emerging between Legion and Tali. "So is this just your opinion? Or do all Geth feel the same way about a war with the Quarians?" Shepard motioned to Legion with his right index finger.

The geth's servo motors made several loud grinding noises as it moved its shoulders. "It is a shared view. The true geth wish to understand our Creators, not destroy them, it would be hypocritical to demand our own existence continue while at the same time demand that they be destroyed. We believe that all life should be given the opportunity to self determinate."

"That's a very open view, Legion. So…do you think when the Reapers arrive, that the Geth will be willing to overlook their differences between themselves and the Quarians to find some common ground?"

Legion was silent for a few seconds. Its hands imitated a gesture vaguely reminiscent of Tali when she was nervous or uncomfortable. "Geth believe in offering the creators an opportunity to broker peace to fight a common enemy. If the Creators are willing to engage in a truce between our species after the war with the Old Machines has passed, then we will be more than willing to return their home worlds to them."

"That's good to hear. I'll plot a course for the Veil then. We'll be docking at Omega tomorrow morning. Good night, Legion. " Shepard strolled towards the AI core's entryway and activated the door's controls.

"Acknowledged," Legion replied automatically before the door shut behind Shepard.

Shepard shook his head lightly at Legion._ Why wouldn't Legion think it would be easier for me to just take it to the Veil using the Normandy? Could it be that it doesn't want Tali to see that mega-structure that the Geth have been building? Doubtful, Legion told me that the Geth do not feel suspicion or paranoia. Besides, while Tali and it may not be best friends, they aren't trying to kill each other right now. So they definitely passed that threshold of their relationship. Maybe it genuinely feels that it would be more productive to avoid such a long journey. Can a VI even comprehend a genuine feeling? Huh, that would definitely be a question to forward to Tali, if she's even awake at this hour. Or maybe it just has a different, ulterior motive that I can't even begin to comprehend. Oh, well that's a question for another day. _He took a few steps forward and sighed in pain. A sharp surge of pain caused him to grip his abdomen quickly. He reclined against the door and exhaled sharply. Again, the painkillers did little to alleviate the pain in his gut.

"Are you all right, Shepard?" Chakwas shifted in her chair to face him. She quickly set down her novel so she could provide her full attention to him.

Shepard could hear the concern in her voice. Chakwas azure eye's connected with his, and he saw that they were full of sympathy.

Andreas grimaced and lifted his weight off of the AI core's door. Andy took a few steps forward towards the center of the room. "I'm fine Doc," he groaned and paused when the pain grew extraordinarily unbearable. His knees suddenly buckled under his weight and he lost his balance. Shepard quickly placed his hands on a gurney in order to use the bed as a makeshift cane to support his weight.

Chakwas rose so quickly from her seat, that Shepard didn't even hear her run over to his side. "Commander you really should rest, please. I am certain that your duties will keep until tomorrow."

Andy groaned in agony once more as he adjusted his posture. His back bones let out several audible pops as they reset themselves. "I can make it, really, it isn't that bad." He tried to release himself from her grip, but she tightened her fingers around his broad shoulder.

"Shepard, you are acting like a child who's fallen off his bike and is too proud to admit that he got hurt. Now I don't want to play the role of a stern parent, but I will if need be."

Shepard smiled at her, which she returned, if only slightly. Chakwas really did remind him of his mother. He really didn't mean to worry her; this was just something he needed to do. Andy managed to free himself from her grip and stood erect beside her. "Thank you for your concern, Karin. But a few cracked bones aren't going to stop me; I've lived through a lot worse back on Elysium."

She returned her hand to her side and nodded in understanding. Chakwas let out an exasperated sigh and her arms went akimbo. "I suppose that is true enough. If you need anything-" Chakwas started to speak but was swiftly interrupted by Andreas.

"-You'll be the first to know, trust me. Have a pleasant evening, Karin." He sauntered over to the door to the medical bay and exited the room.

He saw that Hawthorne and Hadley had long since left the crew mess. In fact, most of the crew had retired for the evening, even Grunt and Zaeed. Gardner was still at his station washing dishes, the man was completely oblivious to his presence. Shepard made his way over to Miranda's door and entered her office.

The Aussie was currently glued to her private terminal. She was most likely severing the remaining connections with the Illusive Man's intel network. "Commander, do you feel it to be a sagacious idea for you to be moving given your current state?" Miranda didn't even need to raise her attention to him to know that he had entered her office.

Andy shrugged his shoulders dismissively, which after feeling another sharp pain stab at his sides quickly became a bad decision. "It probably isn't, but then, when has a really bad idea every stopped me before, Miranda?"

"True," Miranda replied with a small smile tugging at her otherwise professional and unfazed face. Miranda continued to type at her console until Andreas had settled into the seat across from her. Andy stole a glance at Miranda while she still continued to type assiduously at her holographic console. A small strand of her atramentous hair fell in front of her eyes, and she barely broke her key strokes to replace it.

Miranda was always business-like when it came to these personal consultations they shared. However, since he helped her with Oriana she has gotten a bit more sociable with him. While she would probably never be the sort of person that he could share a cup of coffee with, she was a good friend that gave up a lot for him.

_When she quit Cerberus right in front of me back on the Collector base, I literally didn't know what to say. Throughout this whole crazy ride Miranda had always been Cerberus first, everything else second. Hell, she even wanted to implant me with a control chip for god's sake. Still when she was given the order to take me out, she didn't…she could've, but she didn't. I owe her a lot for that._

"So…Miranda, I was wondering. Now that everything is over, what happens to you?" Shepard placed his hands on his lap and leaned into the chair.

Miranda stopped typing. She raised her head from her terminal's screen in order to provide him with her full attention. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I can't tell you." She actually seemed sincere in this admission, which understandably confused him.

"What? Why, Miranda? I thought you trusted me?" Shepard adjusted himself in his seat and his full attention was on her.

"I do, really. Honestly, it doesn't have anything to do with you. It's just…this place is too public for my tastes." She let her calculating slate eyes survey the room for a few seconds. It was almost as if she expected a Cerberus assassin to jump out at any moment and kill them both. Knowing the Illusive Man, he probably did have a few of them stuffed inside the walls for just such an occasion. In truth, Andy did wish there were a Cerberus flunky hidden in the ship right now, it'd been a really crappy couple of days and he could use an outlet for his frustration.

"You and EDI have been cleaning the ship haven't you? I thought you removed all the surveillance equipment by now?" His elbows rested on his knees, and Andy cupped his hands together in thought.

"Yes we have. With EDI now fully integrated into the Normandy's systems and circuitry we have been able to discover most of the Illusive Man's surveillance equipment ."

"The Illusive Man was one paranoid son of a bitch, I guess."

"Within good reason, based on the accumulated evidence," Miranda set her arms on her desk, clasping her hands together.

"You can't be serious, Miranda?! Did you really enjoy feeling like a bug in a bell jar? I mean, where's the trust?!"

"Yes, about as much as I enjoy sharing a meal with Jack in the mess." Miranda replied dryly at Shepard, before quickly returning to her professional persona. "I hated being under such close scrutiny, and I detest when people treat me as though I am incompetent. It is even more loathsome when there is no trust placed in my abilities." She huffed dismissively.

"So if the Illusive Man had trusted you, would it have changed-?" Shepard tried to speak but was swiftly cut off by Miranda's rebuttal.

"No. Well…I don't know, Shepard. I believe in what Cerberus stands for of course, but as for the Illusive Man's plan, that is another matter. He's had brilliant ideas in the past and he has helped me immensely over the years. But taking control of the Collector base was unadulterated insanity, and I don't regret standing up to him on that. The ends did not justify the means. Those colonists deserved better that, and I'm not remorseful at the loss of that 'quintessential' abomination."

"I'm surprised that you would feel empathy for those colonists. I thought that if it could help give us the edge against the Reapers, that you would've done whatever it took to win."

"I seem to recall a certain spectre who claimed that he would win this war without sacrificing the soul of our species. I chose to place my trust in that man over the other, was that a solecism on my part?" She sardonically smirked at him.

"You heard that little altercation between your ex-employer and me, huh?"

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, and I have to say that I agree with your stance on this matter. That was too much power for any one species to hold, and it would have done more damage than good in the end. Besides, I trust you fully, Shepard. You're the only person I've ever met besides Niket who has actually treated me like a true, unconditional friend. Granted the Illusive Man did treat me as an equal, but there was always this barrier. I can't really describe it…but he treated all of us as though we were expendable. It never stopped me from doing my job of course, nor did I take offense to it in the slightest. It makes sense to from a business perspective; it makes sure that your investments remain at a separable distance. There's less of a chance of attachments or liabilities that way. Still, I just always got the impression that I was nothing more than a tool to him, and it wasn't until I joined your team that I realized that. Thank you for helping me remember who I was, Commander, and for Oriana, of course, I won't ever forget about that debt anytime soon."

"You don't owe me anything, Miranda." Shepard replied softly. He smiled one of his golden smiles at her, which conjured a slight smile from her, surprisingly enough. "You are a part of my team, more important, you're my friend. I was more than happy to help you. I understand why you won't tell me what your next step is, but can you at least tell me where you need the Normandy to take you?"

She licked her lips lightly and tapped her exterior thumb against her cupped hands. Miranda made a slight 'click' with her tongue before continuing. "Illium, I have some business to conduct on the planet. From there, I guess we'll see if I'm still alive long enough for that to matter."

"If you need help, I wouldn't mind lending a hand. I was reinstated by the council remember? Maybe I could use my spectre status to help you, grant you amnesty?"

She quickly shook her head 'no'. "Thank you, Shepard, but I've never been one to accept handouts. I appreciate the thought, though. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Miranda replied sincerely.

Shepard nodded in understanding and placed his hands on his knees to raise himself from the seat. "Well, I should probably let you get some shut eye, Miranda. I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out on this mission. I'm glad we had the chance to meet." Shepard made his way to the door. He activated the door lock to open the office's entrance, when Miranda stopped him.

"Shepard, wait," The Aussie's quick interjection caused Andy to pause at the doorway. She rose from her desk and made her way to his side. Her heeled boots tapped along the tiling, creating a 'clanking' noise as she moved. Their eyes connected, and he could see something in them, almost like they were expressing what she couldn't.

"What do you need, Miranda?" He leaned against the doorway's frame and waited patiently for her response.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Shepard." Miranda's rich sapphire eyes burned into his.

He was blown away by this admission. Just when Andy thought he had nothing new to learn about Miranda, she pulled a fast one, and left him completely stupefied.

Shepard pushed his surprise out of his mind long enough so that it wouldn't seem like he was spacing out. "You have nothing to apologize for, Miranda."

"I do. Back at the meeting yesterday, I told you that it was wrong for you to feel guilty about those colonists in the Bahak system. I had no right to dictate how you felt. If you choose to feel remorseful over that, then I have no right to judge you for it."

"Miranda, it's ok," Shepard brought up his free hand in a gesture for her to slow down.

Miranda turned toward the window and stared out into space. The blue light emanating from the Normandy's shield generator reflected on the Aussie's pitch black hair, making it shimmer like black water. She let out a quiet sigh before continuing. "Thank you, Shepard. I just hope that you understand that what happened in that system was in no means a failure on your part. You are only human, Shepard. As much as you'd like to believe you can do everything, sometimes you can't. I suppose what I'm saying is that when you experience a setback; do not dwell upon it further. Cast it aside, and move on for the better."

The Aussie crossed her arms around her waist and did not turn her attention away from the window. This must've been difficult for her, but Shepard appreciated her honesty and sincerity.

"Have a pleasant evening, Commander." The Aussie replied in a hush, not even turning to acknowledge his exit.

Andreas nodded and exited her office without another word. He made his way out of the small room, and the door came to a close with a hiss. Shepard rotated his shoulder to loosen his tensed muscle. He brought up his omni-tool to examine the time. The orange analogue letters on his omni-tool's interface read: 9:50 pm. He thought about retiring for the evening but remembered a few crewmen would still be up by now, at least he hoped. Turning the corner, he noticed that Gardner was long gone. The man's workstation was tidy and the air was pungent with the odor of fresh lemon disinfectant.

Shepard did his best to saunter over to the cryo pods aligned toward the Normandy's gun battery. Usually, Garrus turned in at around 10:00 pm; Andy hoped his friend didn't deviate from his routine habit on this particular night. He approached the door and brought his defiantly uncooperative arm to its panel. His entire body was aching now, from not only the pain, but from fatigue as well. Andy was drained to the point that his eyes were burning, and his head felt as heavy as a bag of bricks. He ignored it though, he was almost there, and he wasn't going to give up on this paramount duty.

The large turian stood at his terminal, as though he was installed specifically for the Normandy's gun battery. Shepard took a few steps inside and let the door lightly close behind him.

"Shepard, need me for something?" Garrus continued to type at his terminal without a backward glance. This was typical behavior for Garrus when it came to his duties, especially when it came to his friend's duties. Shepard thought back to when the Thanix cannon was being installed onto the Normandy all those months ago on Illium. While everyone was out enjoying some well deserved shore leave, Garrus stayed behind to monitor the construction and installation of the cannon. Little wonder why Garrus felt such an attachment to this powerhouse of a weapon, after all, he helped install it to the ship all those months ago.

"You about to turn in for the night, Garrus, I was hoping we could have a few minutes to chat?" Andy reclined against the door with his arms crossed firmly against his chest.

Garrus ceased his activity and yawned loudly. "Well, I did have some more calibrations to complete before the night is over, but I think that it'll keep for a few minutes." The scarred alien turned his attention to Shepard fully. Garrus motioned with his three fingered hand to silently ask Shepard if he would like to take a seat, to which Andy nodded.

Andreas cautiously lowered himself onto a low crate and sighed as another pain flare erupted in his upper abdomen. "Garrus, when don't you have calibrations to complete?" Shepard coughed, and covered his mouth when it grew severe.

"I suppose you have a point, I like to think it takes the edge off the day. Sort of like…hm, what is that human past time…flying fishing?"

"Huh, oh, you mean fly fishing?"

"Yeah…I guess, I had no idea human's possessed the ability to fly and fish at the same time. That's pretty impressive," Garrus turned to face the Commander, who was laughing at this point.

"Garrus, sorry, it's not you. It's just. Humans don't actually fly and fish at the same time. We just use a little fake fly as bait to catch the fish. Hence the name," Andy stopped snickering quickly when his ribcage reminded him the dangers of laughing. He gripped his sides in pain and grimaced.

"I see. How are the ribs?" Garrus' tone turned sincere and he motioned his head toward Shepard.

"They feel like shit, but thanks for asking."

"Yeah, I guess taking a rocket head on won't exactly leave you ready to take on a Reaper anytime soon."

"I guess that's something you and I share in common now, huh, Garrus?" Shepard smirked at his friend.

Garrus chuckled. He folded his arms across his blue and black chest plate. "We'll have to compare scars when this is over, Shepard. Fifty credits say that mine are better. Take that bet?"

"You know it. We'll have to find a female krogan who's willing to judge though, only way to be sure after all," Shepard confidently exclaimed. He reclined in his seat and closed his eyes to alleviate a sudden burning sensation in them.

"True, so what's on your mind, Shepard?" Garrus patiently waited for Shepard to recompose himself.

The Commander's eyes slowly opened and he sighed. "I was going to ask what your plans are now that the mission is done."

"Good question, though I think that my answer may surprise you."

"Try me," Shepard adjusted his posture to provide his full attention to his turian compatriot.

"I was thinking of heading over to the Citadel, you know; mobilize the Council into doing something about the Reapers."

"Good idea. Anything I can do to help?"

Garrus smiled, or at least Shepard thought it was a smile. Turians aren't exactly easy to read. "Thanks, Shepard, but I think you have bigger worries to concern yourself with. I may not have been born with your silver tongue but I can be pretty convincing when it's needed."

"No doubt, Garrus," Shepard smiled at his friend, before turning his attention to the ground.

"How are you holding up, Shepard?" Garrus' face softened and his blue eyes focused on Andy.

"How do you think? This isn't something I'm proud of. I mean, how can I just brush that off? Those people needed my help, and I couldn't save them, Garrus."

"Well, let me tell you something I learned way back in the turian military. There's always going to be casualties in a war, all you can do is hope that you don't end up being a part of that number. I get that you're upset about all those people that were killed out there in Batarian space. It wasn't your fault, Shepard, if you hadn't done what you did, the Reapers would've invaded the galaxy anyway. You're alive right now because of that sacrifice; all you can do is make sure that their deaths meant something, Shepard."

"Yeah, I suppose that's all I really can do at this point. So do you think you would've made the same call if you were in my shoes, Garrus?"

"In a heart beat, from the minute I met you back in the Council Chambers I knew that you were someone who could get things done. Just look how far you've taken us, Shepard… We've been to places people have only dreamed of going. You've faced down monsters that no one's been able to best for fifty thousand years. You alone have done some of the most impossible things in galactic history. You inspire the best around you…Shepard, when someone tells you how impossible something is you take it as a challenge."

Shepard laughed lightly at that last bit. Garrus folded his arms sharply behind his back and stood erect. "That's why I respect you, Shepard. You inspire the uninspired and I gotta say… that's pretty damned impressive when you think about it."

"Well, a captain's only as good as the people serving beside him. I'm lucky to say that I've had some of the best serving at my side through all of this."

Garrus ran his knuckles against his chest plate as though he were polishing it. A half smirk formed along his split scarred mandibles. "I wouldn't say we're the best…but I'd be lying."

They both laughed at that and Shepard let out a relieved sigh. It felt good to forget about all the horrors that had happened lately. Unfortunately, the feeling was short lived and Shepard remembered he had other people to see.

"So, the Citadel it is, Garrus. I'll get you there as soon as possible."

"Right, enjoy your rest, Shepard. You earned it," Garrus returned to his terminal to deactivate it for the evening.

Shepard opened the door to the crew deck but he was suddenly compelled to ask his old friend a question. "Garrus, do you have time for one more question?"

"Always," Garrus turned on his heel, and met Andy's tired eyes.

"Do you have any advice on what I should do about Kelly?"

"You're asking for my advice on women, Shepard?" Garrus motioned to him with one of his three fingered hands.

"I figured since you had such an outstanding repartee with women back on the SR-1, you'd be willing to lend me some pointers."

"Well, since you asked so nicely, how can I say no? So advice on women in general…or do you want advice on yours in particular?"

"Kelly, at least for now. I might need that advice after I'm done talking to her, though. I'll be lucky if she wants anything to do with me after this fiasco."

"I highly doubt that, Shepard. You didn't see the hell that girl put herself through when you were down there on Arahtot. If anything, she's more confused than angry. Still, I'd wear your armor's cod piece, just in case. We haven't seen that girl when she's angry, and 'it's always the quiet ones', that's the human saying for a dangerous girl, right?"

"Got any good advice, Garrus?" Shepard sighed, his fingers danced along his forehead in exhaustion.

"Honestly, I'd say just tell her the truth. It may sound cliché, but then that has been your policy since we first met. I don't see any reason for you to change things now. Besides, I'm sure she'll understand where you're coming from, she doesn't seem the type of girl to brush off an emotionally compromised patient, especially one that she's heels over head in love with, right?"

Shepard would have corrected him, but he was really spent. This evening was dragging on and his body could barely keep up. Andy lifted himself off of the door's frame, and rubbed his shoulder softly. The muscle ache in his right shoulder blade was all consuming and made any type of thinking impossible. He thanked Garrus for all his help and for his advice before he made his way towards the mess.

The door closed in front of Garrus as though it were moving a mile a year. The large turian walked over toward his terminal and entered the final key codes into his workstation to deactivate it for the evening. He couldn't help but let his mind wander to his previous conversation with Shepard.

_This is such a stupid idea you have, Vakarian. Failed C-Sec officer, failed vigilante, and somehow going back to the place I turned my back on is supposed to help at this point! Who the hell is going to help me on that damn station? If they didn't do it two years ago, what makes me think they'll step up now?_

He crossed his arms across his blue-black chest plate and moved toward the next terminal in the room to deactivate it, while he continued to argue with himself.

_No! Damn it, Shepard's going to need the Council in this fight. Those fools would never buy this story if Shepard told them, especially now, after he's just destroyed an entire star system. Shepard's always come through for all of us in the past, and now it's my turn to repay that favor. _

Garrus sighed and walked to the door and adjusted his armor's shoulder plates. _I hope everything works out between him and Kelly, though. That man has suffered enough loss without having to add her to that list of people._

Garrus activated the door and stood frozen when he saw who was waiting for him on the other side. He was face to face with Kelly Chambers.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5: Confessions

_Combat Information Center, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_24hrs Post Bahak System Incident, 2215 hours_

Shepard gripped the elevator's frame and stumbled a bit too close to the ground. His legs felt like those of a new born calf's. _C'mon, Commander, only two more people… then you can quit. Get moving! _

He tightened his hold on the cold, metallic door frame and pulled himself upright. He slowly left the sanctity of the elevator and proceeded into the dimly lit CIC. He looked to the galaxy map rotating in the center of the deck. Each of the white bulbous orbs strewn throughout the large grid danced like sparkling stars in the midnight sky. The blue illumination from the holographic display provided a small bit of light to an otherwise dark area.

Andreas shuffled over to the CIC's terminals, to her terminal. Shepard could see that Kelly's workstation had long since been deactivated for the evening. The holographic keyboard had long since been abandoned, and the desk was empty. Minus the small ceramic coffee mug that rested on the center of the desk.

Andy carefully dropped his hand to clasp the small cup in between his fingers. The cup was still full of liquid. It was filled halfway with milky green water. The liquid inside smelt very aromatic, almost like a flower. It was chamomile tea, if his memory served him correctly. He remembered that his mother was a huge tea fanatic back when he was living with her during her tour on the Einstein. Everyday at breakfast before she had to report in for duty, his mother would bring him dehydrated eggs and chamomile tea from the galley. Not exactly a king's feast, then again, Alliance rations rarely were. Andy pursed his lips at the memory of that chalk-like bile and the unpleasant tea that accompanied it. He shivered in response with a grimace plastered on his face._ Thank god that Dad fed me better; Mom never did get to command a ship with a decent cook. _

There was a picture plastered across the alabaster mug's otherwise smooth surface. To the unsuspecting tourist, it must've given the appearance of a painstakingly crafted piece of memorabilia. Each of the buildings on the cup was very well painted, very impressionistic in its design, with groves and ridges to simulate windows along with depth. The mural was a hodgepodge of bright blues, purples, and pinks. Along with a few dark violets and blacks that seemed to blend together into a perfect symphony of color. _Illium at twilight, _the tiny white letters along the cup's bottom spelled out in small print. To the trained eye though, it was just some cheap mosaic that was most likely commissioned by the Illium tourist and travelers board to draw in some extra revenue from unsuspecting tourists. Kelly must've picked up this gaudy trinket back when she went to the markets during their last visit to Illium.

_Yeesh, Red. I can't believe your hard earned credits went toward this cheap bauble. _Andy gently toyed with the cup and stood still as stone. In reality though, he loved that about her. How Kelly always found pleasure in the most nonsensical and trivial things that life presented was a mystery Andy would probably never wrap his head around. There was so much about Kelly that he really didn't know. Shepard remembered walking with her through the Citadel's market place while they were waiting for Thane to finish talking to his son. She would stop at just about every dumb store and would go completely gaga over every little trinket. Little snow globes with models of the Citadel inside of them, model ships, tropical fish, I'm with krogan t-shirts, even a few bits of merchandise with Shepard's face on them, nothing was below that woman's radar. The dumb little novelties that the ordinary residents of the Citadel wouldn't even give the time of day to, Kelly found irresistible, and the worst part of it all…Andy couldn't stop from enjoying watching her shop around. Watching her try on ridiculous looking vorcha masks, her buying "genuine" prothean artifacts only to find out that they contained tiny candies inside, her laughing at watching a few turian children playing Commander Shepard, some weird variation of tag where the loser had to be Saren. _If only hunting that bastard had been so easy, _Andreas silently grumbled.

Kelly was so radiant that day down in the Wards, he never stopped smiling once. Her laughter was infectious, her smile intoxicating. It was too easy for him to get lost in Kelly Chambers. He never had a woman play with him like this, one that could make him feel like a kid again. A woman that reminded him of how much good this galaxy still held in it, and showed him that all it takes to brighten a day is one really genial smile.

_This is such a strange feeling._ Andy reflected, while he gingerly set down the souvenir. _I…I've haven't felt this way about someone in such a long time. I didn't even think I still could anymore. It seems like just yesterday that I lost Ashley…the last thing I heard before she died was her screaming. _Andy shut his eyes tightly to hold back tears. _Damn it! I never asked for this…I never asked to fall in love. I was more than willing to give my life up for the cause, but now…that isn't an option anymore. I can't do that if someone is expecting me to come home at the end of the day._

Shepard sauntered over to the tech lab's first door, and he slammed his fist against the wall in anger. _Listen to you! Are you actually upset because you have someone that cares about you? What the hell is your problem? Are you scared, you little chicken shit? Are you scared because you might have to open up your heart and be vulnerable again? I can't believe that you've faced down legions of walking corpses, gigantic two kilometer tall monsters and a talking plant, yet the one thing you're scared of most in this galaxy is losing one girl. One girl that you couldn't live without, one girl that showed you that the galaxy isn't such a dark place after all, one girl that reminded you that you still have a heart. One girl that made you feel…happy again. So, maybe it isn't all that bad after all._

Andy smiled as he activated the second door to the tech lab. The door opened, and Shepard could see that Mordin was hard at work. Though that was hardly a surprise, next to Liara, Mordin was even more relentless in his duties than she was. It could've been a part of his salarian curiosity and intellect. Salarians are naturally inquisitive after all; maybe he just needed constant stimuli. Or it really could have been that the man didn't have an off switch. Come to think of it, Andy really couldn't recall ever seeing Mordin leave his post. True there was a cot in the room, but that didn't dismiss the fact that every time Andreas came in here, Mordin was already hard at work at some other weird project.

"No, no, no would cause power failure. Re-route shield generator power through the red wires along the DRA heat sinks to prevent overheating." Mordin placed his hand on his chin while he spoke directly into his private terminal.

"Right, you know, Mordin, these new heat sink mods are pretty awesome. You sure we can run the power longer before having to discharge these sinks? I mean, the Broker's old clunker isn't exactly a warship." Feron's disembodied voice came through the terminal's PA system.

"Yes, theoretically possible. Turians employed similar tactics during Krogan Rebellions. By replacing standard sodium contents with higher efficiency solvent silicon carbide, should increase heat sink efficiency by 25% while under fire. Much higher resistance to internal temperature increases than standard heat sink materials."

"Nice, that should come in handy."

Mordin turned slightly to see Shepard approach his work space. The scientist flashed a quick smile before returning to the monitor. "Oh! Recommend shutting heat sink power conduit down so that maintenance can continue unabashed."

"Ow, son of a bitch that hurt!" Feron yelled over the terminal's screen.

"Apologies, Feron, thought I had more time before needed to issue a warning. Are you injured?" Mordin placed his hands on the table and waited for the drell's response.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hell of a pinch though, damn," Feron sighed into the microphone.

"Good, would discourage future progress with heat sink transfer power still on, other wise results…problematic."

"Problematic?"

Mordin adjusted his posture and typed into his terminal. "Hm, yes, could cause permanent nerve damage, paralysis, cardiac arrest-"

"Yikes, I get it. No need to say more, Mordin. I'll make sure to turn the grid off next time."

"Just making sure," Mordin stood and brought up his omni-tool to analyze the new mods that Feron had just installed. "Any other inquiries, Feron?"

"Nah, I think I got it from here, hang on, I have a message coming from Liara. I got to go. Thanks, Mordin," Feron replied genially.

"Of course, best of luck, Feron. Mordin out," He tapped on his terminal to disconnect the call. The salarian turned his attention toward Shepard and cocked one of his non existent eye brows. "Ah, Shepard, good to see you are in reasonably stable condition. However, can see that pupils are dilated and you appear to be suffering from severe physical fatigue. Recommend turning in for the evening. Destination request will still be here in the morning after you have had proper time to rest and perhaps a meal."

"That a medical recommendation, Mordin?" Shepard coughed lightly into his closed hand and slouched over the desk. The pain in his ribs was unbearable at this point. Every breath and every movement that his coughing forced caused a backlash of raw pain that shot throughout his body.

"No, not medical…personal opinion, growing concerned this recent physical activity is due to psychological need for distraction, rather than actual intellectual purposes. Distraction from what though? Hm…guilt, perhaps, you seem the sort to value all forms of life. Could be from worry or anxiety? Perhaps looming war with Reapers has made you concerned…understandable, Reapers unknown variable, not easy to gauge combative capability on one short encounter with single Reaper unit: Sovereign. No, unlikely, you are a soldier…understand inherent risks that come from war with an unknown enemy. Then what…hm, Chambers, perhaps unsure of how to address issue with mate? Yes, seems likely, aware you two are quite close. Was my initial hypothesis that possible relationship could result in emotional entanglement."

Shepard's face burned a bright red, not out of anger, more out of the embarrassment of being caught. Only Mordin would break this whole thing down to expose the bare skeleton of the real issue underneath. Then again, Andreas had been anything but subtle with his behavior or his feelings for Kelly. At least with Mordin, he must not have been very subtle, anyway.

_Is it really that obvious to Mordin? Probably was, knowing how smart he is. Hell, I still remember the day Mordin tried to give me 'advice' on how to romance Kelly. Like checking her for Cerberus bugs, or forwarding those diagrams to my omni-tool on 'various positions satisfactory to both genders'. God, that had to have been the most awkward conversation I've ever had with anyone…ever. Not that I didn't appreciate the advice Mordin offered at the time. It's just; I didn't consider my love life as something that my CSO would care about. Especially someone like Mordin, the scientist that was always busying himself with some new technology or weapon, who would've suspected that under that keen scientific intellect was an old school romantic. In fact, it was Mordin's suggestion to watch the sunset with Kelly on Illium. In retrospect, that was golden advice. It definitely helped me cement my feelings for Kelly and vice-versa. _

"Can you read me that easily, Mordin?" Shepard strolled to the opposite side of the scientist salarian, and propped himself up with his hands.

Mordin nodded and flashed him a quick smile. The Professor crossed his arms behind his back. "Obvious? Of course, hormone driven reproductive urges rarely subtle, could tell a deep emotional connection between you and Chambers before even offering suggestions to either of you."

"Wait, did you talk to Kelly about a possible relationship between the two of us before you talked that over with me?" Andy's eyes shot open in shock. Guess there was more than one 'invisible hand' playing match maker with them on this ship.

"Yes, Chambers came by to interview me few weeks after recruitment. Told her what she wanted to know, then suggested that you had 'romantic' feelings for her. She was of course shocked by my analysis, suggested there was an error in my assumptions. Informed her rarely wrong, especially in regards to obvious assessments, offered my assistance if needed. She attempted to divert suspicions by telling me a joke about Krogan/Batarian bartender, heard it before. Returned to previous conversation by ruining punch line, she admitted that perhaps I was correct. Asked her if emotional connection was mutual, to which she agreed quickly. Asked for my professional opinion on the possible ramifications that may have arose from a relationship between you and her, suggested to me that you acted emotionally distant. Told her that it was my hypothesis that you already had romantic feelings for her, and if given the right invitation, you would display true feelings. Suggested that she subtly encourage possible rendezvous to draw out affections for her, unsure if she took my advice," Mordin wrapped his thumb and index around his jaw in silent reflection.

_Wait, when she told me she wished she could have the chance to get to know me better. That was Mordin's idea? Clever girl, _Shepard shook his head in disbelief and blushed. "She took your advice, Mordin, believe me."

"Good to hear. Always suspected you two would make a suitable reproductive pairing, glad initial hypothesis correct. Here to gather destination request now that Collector threat neutralized, correct?"

Shepard nodded and placed his hands on the table. "You're correct, Mordin. Now that the mission's over, what happens to you?"

"Hm, have actually considered returning to Omega. Would like to see how Daniel has been handling the clinic, then…unsure. Have been talking to nephew recently, has received rather generous housing facility from Talat University on Sur'Kesh. Nephew suggested coming to visit, would like me to speak to his class. Would be nice to see him, but unsure, only idea at present." Mordin gave a slight nonchalant shrug and turned to his console to type in a few keys quickly.

Shepard crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the desk behind him."You think you would enjoy giving a seminar to a room full of students, Mordin?"

"Would be an interesting challenge to say the least. Have never had to speak before a youth group, could be amusing to tell them of adventures against Collectors. Doubtful that any would believe it however," Mordin slightly smiled at that. Clearly, he was amused in the prospect of regaling a crowd of students on how he set a few Collector drones on fire.

"Could be worth a laugh- or ten, Mordin, I don't doubt that you could sell such a wild story to a room full of kids." Andy winced slightly at a sharp pinch that stabbed at his right leg's inner thigh. That bruise was definitely making it difficult to stay upright.

"Have you been taking prescribed medication, Commander?"

"I'm fine, Mordin, these painkillers last for four hours, and my next dosage isn't for another hour. I'm just going to talk with Taylor, and then I'm heading to bed."

"Good to hear, if that is all will return to work. Chambers purchased human Rubik's cube for me in appreciation for assistance, have been performing analysis on it. Simple puzzle, not complicated, took 21.56 seconds to solve. Asked Chambers the significance of this puzzle in human culture, she said it was challenging to most humans. Considered intellectual achievement to solve in fastest time, have been working on solving it with blindfold, much more challenging. Current time stands at 36.23 seconds, can do quicker of course, but need practice."

Andy's eyes grew wide with amazement; he could never finish one of those things that quickly. Then again, he wasn't a genius. "Well, I guess I should leave you to it then. Pleasant dreams, Mordin. We'll be docking at Omega tomorrow morning."

"Understood, Shepard, have a pleasant evening." Mordin nodded genially and rummaged through mountains of paper work to find the small multi colored toy. Andreas hobbled out of the tech lab with his arm wrapped sternly around his abdomen.

He paused in the hallway and reclined against the wall, when Andy once again lost his footing. He collapsed in the hallway and coughed loudly. His forearm took the brunt of the impact, that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt like hell though. Andy let out a low moan and shifted awkwardly in place to turn himself from his stomach, to his glutes. Shepard quickly recovered, and slouched against the wall behind him. He rested his body and his head against the cold metal tiling. He closed his eyes, as the cold metal soothed his burning flesh. His contented sigh filled the hallway as the cooling sensation rushed his senses. The reprieve from pain was short lived; however, as his ribs reignited as a defiant reminder that they were in fact still broken. Shepard clutched his stomach, and put the pain out of his mind long enough to bring himself back to his feet. He used his right forearm as a support beam for his body. Andy was breathing heavily and felt what little energy that remained quickly escape from his body.

"Shepard, are you all right? Do you require medical attention?" EDI's cool voice flooded the transition corridor between the tech lab and the armory.

Shepard lightly rubbed his eyes between his fingers. "I'm fine, EDI, just lost my footing."

"Shepard, you should not be forcing yourself to move when you are not physically able to. I would be more than happy to relay any messages you have to the remaining crew."

"No." Shepard's stern voice rang throughout the narrow space. "Thank you for your concern, EDI. I'll be all right, trust me."

"Shepard-" EDI tried to further protest against Shepard's stubborn refusal for help, but was sternly cut off by Andy's rebuttal.

"I said I am fine, EDI." Shepard hobbled a few feet further towards the doorway to the armory.

"Very well, should you require any assistance-"

"You'll be the first to know, Shepard, out." Andy opened the door to the armory, and saw Jacob Taylor was currently doing crunches on the floor near his private terminal. Jacob's flawless physique was glistening with fresh sweat, as he pushed himself up and down off of the ground with his left arm. The ebony man's body formed an 'L' shape, as his body thrust inward and outward. Shepard eyes darted off of the man to examine the armory's surroundings. The area was very neatly organized. Every weapon was put away for the evening, say for a lone phalanx pistol sitting next to Jacob's shirt. On Jacob's private terminal, Shepard could see a hanar on the screen and what appeared to be a Blue Suns' mercenary.

"Ha, you can't kill me, Blasto. Don't your Enkindlers say something about not harming people?"

_Blasto the Jelly Fish Stings, wow, Taylor. This is just what I needed right now. _Andy secretly smiled at the large purple jellyfish on screen.

As if on cue, Taylor spoke in unison with Blasto. "Enkindle this," the light purple creature shook slightly, and a bright azure light enveloped it. A carnifex hand cannon came on screen, levitated by Blasto's element zero field. The merc tried to get a word in, but Blasto put an end to him pretty quickly with an overly cinematic headshot.

_Nice try Hollywood, but head shots don't work that way. Believe me, I'd know._ Shepard shook his head in disbelief at this corny piece of cinematography.

Taylor however, was more than thrilled at the movie's cheesy puns and cringe worthy special effects. He was in stitches and rooting for Blasto every step of the way.

Andy cleared his throat lightly, which snapped Taylor back to reality pretty quick. "Dreaming of the life not lived, Jacob?"

Taylor stopped his crunches and quickly sprang to his feet. He gently wiped his hands off on his pants and nodded happily. "Sorry, sir…didn't hear you come in." Jacob was panting heavily and bobbing in place. Taylor extended his right hand to his CO, and Shepard accepted it happily.

"No worries, Jacob. Hope I'm not interrupting." Shepard flashed a smile to his compatriot, "I love this part." Andy's eyes went to Jacob's terminal as Blasto killed three more Blue Suns' mercs by hitting them with an M-662 Avalanche then smashing them with his biotics.

Both men gave a groan in unison at the Blasto's display of unrestrained power. Jacob turned his attention back to Andreas, once he remembered he had company. "You a Blasto fan too, Commander?"

Shepard nodded in acknowledgement. "Kelly thought it would be good to see while we were on Illium. We got about an hour into the movie before I had to go recruit Samara."

"Right, I remember that now. That was while the Thanix was being installed onto the ship by those Turian engineers, right? A shame you didn't get to see it all the way through, it's a great movie. Want me to make a copy of the director's cut and upload it to your omni-tool?" Taylor quickly pointed at Andy with his right index finger.

Shepard brought up his hand in refusal. "Thanks, Taylor, but I think I'll just rent it once all this is over."

"It's a great date night movie…sir." Jacob shifted in place, after he had effectively stuck his foot in his mouth.

"Thanks for the advice. Maybe I can make some use of it pretty soon. I have a feeling I'll have plenty of free time on my hands now." Shepard reclined against a weapon bench. He reached for the empty phalanx and fiddled with the laser sight. Andy toyed with the pistol a few seconds in silent contemplation, before accidentally priming the pistol's hammer. He set the weapon down beside him and looked toward Jacob.

The ebony officer sauntered over to his private terminal to pause the vid. He reached into one of the drawers of his work desk to retrieve two protein bars. The wrapping was silver, with a bright crimson stripe intersecting the middle of the rectangular bar. He unwrapped his small repast, peeling the foil as gingerly as possible so that he would not to not mess up any of the upper corners of the bar. The inner part of the energy bar looked like it was comprised of granola or oatmeal, hard to tell. It had chocolate spread along the upper part of the bar in a lattice pattern. There were even some nuts peppered inside, almonds, by the looks of them.

Taylor ravenously bit down on one corner of the bar, removing a large chunk of the rectangle's figure. He chewed it lightly for a few seconds before swallowing. While chewing his second bite, Taylor acknowledged his company. The man extended his second bar as an offer to Shepard. "Hungry?" He asked Andy happily.

Andy shrugged and reached for the energy bar. "Thanks, Jacob." Shepard also began to remove his bar from its packaging and gladly consumed a small portion of it. Unfortunately, the tantalizing chocolate smell was misleading. The tiny morsel Andreas consumed was dry, bitter, and sour, but it was food at least. He offered a fake smile to Taylor and swallowed the unappealing bite.

"So…you're here to ask what I'm going to do now that this little joy ride of ours is over, right?" Jacob swallowed the last of his small energy bar and crumpled the wrapping in his hand. He stopped at the weapon bench Shepard was reclining on to retrieve his uniform's top. He hoisted the shirt over his head and brought it down over his sculpted core.

"Yeah, so where ya heading now? Earth, the Citadel…maybe Tuchanka?" Shepard crossed his arms and waited expectantly for Taylor's answer.

Jacob lightly ran his gloved hand against his chin's midnight stubble. "Too crowded, too fake, and too dangerous, I was thinking of just heading off on Illium, if it isn't too out of the way of course. I figured I'd check out the night life there for a bit and then get out of sight. Can't be too careful now that Miranda and I have targets painted on our backs," Taylor glanced over his shoulder, as though the metaphorical bullseye were already visible.

"Yeah, I guess none of us can be too careful now. So I guess this means you're not going back to the Illusive Man for your severance papers?"

"You can bet your ass on that, sir. Crazy son of a bitch, I knew I couldn't trust him. After seeing all that hell on the Collector base, I can't believe he wanted to preserve that place like it was some kind of sick trophy."

"Yeah…bastard," Shepard slightly ground his teeth at the memory of the Illusive Man ordering Miranda to take him down. Still, no sense feeling angry about that now, in the end, Miranda defied orders to keep him alive. Best of all his crew was alive and that abomination was nothing more than a bad memory. "I never thought Miranda would've turned her back on Cerberus…for me."

"Neither did I, then again, Miranda always was full of surprises." Jacob chuckled slightly. "I loved the look on that prick's face when she told him to shove it."

They both laughed at that. "Yeah, I think I saw one of his blood vessels pop," Shepard teased proudly with a smirk.

"Nah, I think that wasn't until after, when you told him you quit by blowing up that base. You never do things small, huh, Shepard?"

"Not in my vocabulary," Andy gave a wave of his hand and closed his eyes happily. "So Illium it is, I'll make sure to get you there ASAP."

"Sure thing, Shepard," Taylor saluted his CO proudly then returned his arm to his side. "You should probably turn in for the night, no? I think it might do you some good to get a little R&R after that little excursion you just went through."

Shepard groaned and arched his arms behind his back to pop his shoulder blades. "I will, thanks, Jacob. As you were, my friend," Andy lifted himself off of the weapon's bench and strolled toward the door. He was spent for the night; his talk with Kelly would unfortunately have to wait.

**~O~**

_Crew Deck, Normandy SR2_

_Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_24hrs Post Bahak System Incident, 2300 hours_

Garrus stood silent at the doorway leading to the gun battery. Normally, there wasn't much that could stop him in his tracks, except of course, maybe his commander's not so secret girlfriend coming by to see him.

While Shepard was going through every level of hell down on Arahtot, Kelly and Garrus established a friendship. Somewhat, he still wasn't the type of person to open up willingly to anyone, but Kelly was something a bit different. Most humans treated turians as aliens, especially humans within Cerberus. Instead, Kelly treated him just like any other crewman, probably because she could read him just as easily as any other crewman. That isn't something that you can say comes easily to any human.

In truth, Garrus respected her immensely. She brought Shepard happiness, and that was more than enough to win over Garrus' loyalty. There was more than that though; she had this irresistible charm about her. Garrus found it impossible not strike up a conversation with her. He didn't have a thing for humans mind you, but he appreciated her as much as one might appreciate a younger sister or a niece. However, Garrus got the feeling that this meeting right now was no social call. He could already tell that by the urgency displayed in her emerald eyes. There was something bigger behind this, and he had a pretty good idea of what that could be.

Kelly was looking for answers, and Garrus was apparently where she intended to retrieve them from. Ordinarily, Garrus wouldn't have minded answering her questions on any particular topic. He would never admit it, but he valued their friendship. Kelly was immediately concerned about his well being the minute he came aboard the Normandy; he remembered how worried she acted when his scars were still fresh. How she acted almost motherly in her duties when analyzing him, which was weird at first but quickly became a comfort to him. When he first arrived on this ship, there really weren't many people he could call friend. Aside from Joker, Chakwas, and Shepard, he was mainly on his own. She was one of the few crewmen to visit him in the early days of this little escapade. That definitely meant a lot to the turian. Unfortunately, he knew exactly what this late night visit was in regards to. She wanted to talk to him about Shepard.

"Garrus," Kelly spoke softly and averted her green eyes to the ground out of embarrassment. "Do you…have a minute to talk?"

Garrus was hoping that Kelly would be too distracted by Shepard's condition to notice his body language; otherwise, his posture would've incriminated him immediately. He was nervous as hell right now and it showed. _Watch your step, Archangel. This is a delicate situation; don't say anything that will put Shepard in the varren pit with this woman. More important, don't tell her about him disbanding the team. That may be the one detail this woman can't handle._

Garrus brought his three fingered hand to cover his mouth while he cleared his throat. "Actually, Chambers, it's pretty late. I was about to turn in for the evening." Then Garrus saw something he wished he hadn't. Her normally bright and cheerful face instantly darkened. She looked as though she had been stabbed right through the heart. Her hurt expression instantly soured his evening. He didn't like brushing off a friend, but he was playing with dynamite right now. If he didn't mind his step he'd say something that would upset her even more than she already was.

Garrus brushed past her and made it about halfway down the aisle of cryo pods before she called out to him. "Garrus, please, this will just take a second. I just need someone to talk to."

_Damn it, _Garrus groaned inside; as he turned on his heel and made his way back to her. "All right, Chambers, what's up?" He tried to play as nonchalant and collected as possible.

"Garrus, there's no need to feel uncomfortable. I just had a few questions, I am not angry at you, believe me." The small woman played with her thumbs in an uncomfortable fashion, clearly this was no more fun for her than it was for him. She took a few steps closer to Garrus so their eyes could meet. Kelly was much smaller than he was, so Garrus easily towered over her. This made any sort eye contact between them a challenge.

"I know you're not, so what's this all about, Chambers?"

"You know what this is all about, Garrus."

"Shepard, right?" Garrus crossed his arms and leaned against a cryo tube.

Kelly nodded and turned her attention to him. "Yes, I wanted to know if you really meant what you said yesterday." Her eyes darted to the floor quickly. The red head shifted awkwardly in place and held her elbows in each hand to steel her resolve.

"Remind me, what did I say exactly, Chambers?" Garrus was more than a bit perplexed at her question. His hands rested on the hand railings, and he waited patiently for her to answer him.

"Giving Andy time to heal. I don't know if I can stay away from him much longer, Garrus. I'm losing my mind worrying about him. I thought I would feel better with him being safe and back on the Normandy. Instead, I feel even worse than when he was on Arahtot."

"Why do you feel so upset, Chambers? You had nothing to do with what happened in the Bahak system."

"You don't understand, Garrus. You didn't see his face when he sacrificed those people." Her eyes began to grow pink with repressed tears. She quickly spun around to hide her weakness from him. Kelly's voice quivered and she let out a short sigh to recover her will. "That day scarred him, Garrus. Andy wants to hold it in for some reason, to bottle it up inside and pretend he's fine. I just want to help him, to make him understand that he has people to turn to. Friends that can help him when he needs it…I want him to know that he isn't alone in this."

"He knows, Kelly. Believe me; he is going to need you now more than ever. You just need to be patient with him. He's been through a lot; it may take time for him to open up to you. I promise you though, he will."

Kelly turned on her heel quickly to look into his eyes. Her expression did not change; it still read anguish, confusion, and silent pleading. "Garrus, you're his closest friend, has he talked to you? Do you know if he's up right now? I…I know I don't have any right to go looking for him. I'm sure I am just being paranoid and scared, but I just can't sit by anymore. I don't know what I am going to say to him. All I do know is that I'm done waiting. Please, Garrus, is there anything he told you, anything at all? Everyone's been acting weird after that meeting this morning, but no one will even look me in the eye when I ask about it. What's going on?"

Garrus averted his sight from her and stared forward toward the wall. "I'm sorry, Kelly, but I have nothing to tell you. If you want to talk to Shepard, you should try tomorrow morning."

She nodded solemnly and closed her eyes remorsefully. "Thank you anyway, Garrus. Enjoy your evening, my friend."

Garrus watched her walk away, shoulders slumped, the wind effectively knocked from her sails. He was about to walk away as well when he heard something, a light 'tapping' noise coming from Kelly's direction. Ordinarily, this sort of noise would have been drowned out by the sounds on the crew deck, given the hour the dead silence made it come through perfectly. It was too light to be her footsteps, it sounded like water dripping from a faucet. Garrus heard an additional noise accompanying the light taps on the cold steel floor, Kelly was whimpering, she was crying right now.

_Ah, Hell, Chambers_. Garrus thought remorsefully as he heard this. In a split second, his better judgment was overwhelmed by pity for his friend. He threw away all his caution and called out to her. "Kelly, wait. There is something that…you should know."

Kelly stood dead in her tracks. She turned around and made her way back to him. The yeoman brought her hand to her face to wipe away the fresh tears, she tried to write off the fact that she had just been crying. Garrus could see that she was just putting on airs for him though, trying to act tough and pretending that he didn't just catch her crying.

"Yes, what is it, Garrus?" She quietly asked him. The young woman moved bits of her ruby red locks that were in front of her eyes.

"I didn't want to have to be the one to have to tell you this, but we're friends. Shepard wouldn't lie to me, so I won't lie to you."

Garrus paused for a second; whatever he had to tell her must've been bad. Kelly mentally braced herself for whatever her friend was about to tell her. She stuck her hands in her uniform's pockets and clenched them into fists out of nervousness.

"Shepard's…disbanding the team…he's going to turn himself over to the Alliance as a criminal. We're starting with Omega tomorrow morning. I'm sorry." Garrus seemed genuinely apologetic in this admission.

Kelly felt like she had just been hit by a train. _What? _

Her jaw stood agape, she lost her ability to speak, and her mind grew cloudy from the shock. Andreas was leaving her, and she had to find that out from Garrus. _Why is Andy disbanding the team? Why is he leaving me? Was everything he told me that morning, all the feelings that he said he had for me, were all those just lies?! I…I have to go; I need to find him, now more than ever. I don't care what time it is, I'm done giving Andy his space. If Andreas thinks I'm just going to leave him alone and not ask him about this, he better not think it again._

Kelly turned on her heels quickly and bolted for the elevator to go to Shepard's quarters. _Damn, she can really hoof it when she really wants to. She must be pissed, I've gotta stop her. No telling what she will do to Shepard now. _

"Kelly, wait! Kelly," Garrus called for her, but she was already halfway to her destination. O_h, crap, what have I done? _Garrus pondered worriedly. He shuffled his feet in place and muttered a turian swear under his breath.

***A/N: Ooh, looks like things are heating up for poor Shepard, eh, fellas? I realize I skipped Tali, only because I feel that this little teammate send off vignette has gone on long enough. Don't worry though, I haven't forgotten my favorite quarian, she makes an appearance and it will be totally worth it…scout's honor. The little part with Blasto was just a fun little nod to a trailer for the movie that is up and running on Machinima. It is really funny, and you should definitely check it out. Seriously peeps, 7hanks for all the support and comments on my story so far, it has been a thrill to write this with the knowledge that I am adding depth to a sadly under used LI. Rest assured, Kelly and Andy are going to have their moment very soon. I know I have been thrilled to write their dialogue scenes, and I hope you will find equal amounts of joy in reading it. For those of you joining the party a bit late, never fear. I have a second story on my account: **_**Kelly Chambers Romance**_** (I know what an original title. What can I say though; I was fresh out of BT when I wrote that story). Any who, my previous story is just act one of this little romance. It's filled to the brim with heart, a few laughs, and plenty of action. Feel free to check it out or just stay tuned to this channel, whatever works for you. As for me, it's back to the grind. See you star side.***


	6. Chapter 6

Ch 6: I Need You

_Captain's Cabin, Normandy SR-2_

_Geosynchronous Orbit above Erinle, Osun, Hourglass Nebula_

_24 hrs post Bahak system incident, 2350 hrs _

Andy closed his eyes and silently listened to the cascading water splash against the sink. He hadn't eaten much today, but at least Jacob was kind enough to share one of his protein bars with him. While it may not have been a full fledged meal, it did alleviate the emptiness that he felt in his stomach. If only he could find a protein bar that could do the same for his heart. He still had yet to talk to Kelly. He wanted to talk to her, due to the hour though, he decided against it.

Steam from the sink fogged up the glass in front of him. He used his left palm to clean the mirror so he could see himself. The glass was cold against his flesh. It let out a loud squeal, as he smeared the steam off of it. Looking at his reflection staring back at him made him realize that he looked like hell. His beard had now fully evolved from light stubble to a full patch of midnight colored fur. His eyes were blood-shot, and he had bags underneath them. He looked flushed from the fever, and his hair gave him the appearance of someone who had just woke up. He ran his fingers through his scalp and sighed. His hair felt slimy and stiff from the all of his sweat. Andreas sighed and reached into the cabinet for some mouth wash to get ready for bed, since brushing his teeth would be unbearable at this point.

Shepard loosened the cap around the bottle and used a small paper cup to collect the red colored mouth wash. Despite the cup's distance from his nostrils, he could already smell the hot cinnamon scent emitting from the mouthwash. Andy set the cup aside and replaced the top to the bottle then placed it back into the medicine cabinet. He raised the cup to his lips and quickly shoved the mouthwash into his mouth. The strong disinfectant contents of the liquid burned his inner cheeks. After a minute of swirling the liquid in his mouth, he spit the now rose colored mouthwash into the sink and rinsed what was left down the drain.

Andreas stepped out of the lavatory feeling slightly refreshed but still sore from his injuries. His lower abdomen felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer, which forced him to clutch his sides in agony. _Damn these ribs. I am so sick of all this pain. I haven't had broken ribs since the Blitz on Elysium, can't say I missed the feeling._

He made his way over to his desk and picked up the tiny prescription bottle Chakwas gave him. Popping the cap, Shepard placed two more small, snow white capsules in his hands. He then shoved the pills into his mouth and swallowed them dry.

_Well these are my last pain killers for the evening. Sure hope these damn things start helping me soon. It seems the pain is getting worse. At least I'm not nauseous any more, so I gotta be thankful for that. _Shepard wearily mused while deactivating his private messages terminal for the evening. His head was pounding from exhaustion, his eyes burned, he just wanted to lie in bed and fall into a coma. He looked to his right and saw the neatly folded towel that he had used this morning to clean himself off. Shepard smiled at the memory of Kelly leaving behind those few precious items for him this morning before he set out for Hagalaz. He greedily ran his fingers along the clean white towel, savoring the feeling of the soft cloth against his raw finger tips. It was a euphoric sensation that definitely helped submerge his pain to the deepest recesses of his mind.

Then he noticed something else, a small data pad was sticking out from underneath the towel. He must not have noticed it this morning when he grabbed it. He lifted the data pad so he could examine it closer. Andy activated the power button on the pad's keyboard, and it came online. After the screen had fully loaded, Shepard could see that there was an unread message marked in the upper right hand corner of the small screen. He used the pad's touch screen interface to bring the message to full screen. Andy found that it wasn't a full fledged message, just a note. The subject heading read: _Hope You Feel Better_. He began to read the message, and his heart skipped a beat when he read the tender words that it contained.

_Andy,_

_Sorry I didn't wake you. You looked so peaceful sleeping this morning that I felt it would be criminal to disturb you. I left these things for you in the hope that they will help you feel better. I know it isn't much, Sweetheart, but I hope it helps. While they may not provide you with any immediate relief from your injuries or conscious, it may just give you just enough peace to clear your head for now. No matter what people may tell you today, remember that you did what no one else could. You saved us once again, Handsome, never believe any different. I know you did everything you could for those people. I hope maybe someday... you can see that too. I just wanted you to know that I really missed you, and that I'm glad you're ok. If you need anything…anything at all, please, just let me know. I love you._

_ Yours always,_

_ KC_

Shepard had the largest grin that he had ever had draped across his comely face. His spirit felt as though it had been renewed, his heart was uplifted. The high from reading that letter was short lived though, when he realized that he had been openly ignoring her for two days. Andy gripped the data pad so hard that his knuckles turned white. He threw the device aside roughly and heard the data pad crack under the force. Now he realized why he hadn't been able to talk to her, why he dreaded a conversation with Kelly more than anything in this galaxy. It was because he loved her, and he didn't want this to be goodbye.

_God damn it, Red! Why…why is it so hard to talk to you!? What the hell is wrong with me? Am I doing this because I am worried that you won't take the news well? No. You're a strong woman, Red, I know you are. Is it because…because I'm the one who is scared? N…No…that couldn't be it…could it? Who are you trying to convince, you idiot? Shit, I can't believe I've faced down bands of krogan, twelve feet tall geth, a human reaper, even walking corpses, and not once have I flinched from fear. Yet at the thought of losing one woman…ONE WOMAN and I crumble like a salarian under fire!_

_Fuck, _Shepard ground his teeth in a seething rage. "God damn it!" Andy finally lost his self control, alone in his cabin; he finally let his frustrations consume him. He violently cast aside the desk's items to the ground, damaging his private terminal in the process. He no longer felt the energy to even keep himself upright.

Andreas leaned over the desk and used his elbows to prop himself up. He ran his fingers through his hair, occasionally stopping to grip locks of his midnight locks between his fingers. "Kelly," he whispered remorsefully. "I…I have to talk to her. I don't care how late it is, I've waited on this long enough. Buying myself time and not even considering how she felt. I want to see her. I have to talk to her. I need to tell her how much she means to me," Shepard rambled incoherently. He was in a daze. Everything, including his pain, had been cast aside. His mind only had one objective right now…find Kelly. Andreas was done waiting, done thinking, he knew what he wanted to say now. He loved her, and he'd be damned if he was going to push her aside one more second.

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to worry about going to see her. Before he could even open the door, it opened on its own, revealing a very exasperated Kelly Chambers. She quickly closed the distance between them; she was so close to him, that he could see the steam coming from her ears. Her eyes were fiery, her face cold and scornful, even her posture screamed rage. This was an entirely different woman that was standing before him. Then again, love has a funny way of changing an individual.

_Oh, hell. What have I unleashed? _Andy thought nervously, while she breathed heavily.

Kelly's lips pursed. Her eyes narrowed on him, cutting into his flesh like daggers. "Just what the hell is your problem?!" She snarled at him. Her arms went akimbo.

Shepard's eyes were less than heated, they were sympathetic. His eyes were a cooling breeze that contrasted largely with her heated gaze. The fact that Shepard was looking at her with such tenderness, with such remorse, only fueled her rage further. She was so infuriated with Andreas. She was so hurt by him that she was on the verge of tears at this very moment.

Honestly, she wanted him to say something, anything to give her a reason to feel anger towards him. Instead, he just stood silent, his eyes looking at her so lovingly that she wanted to just hug him and cry with him. She steeled her love for him…for now. She needed to know if he really loved her, or if this was all some sick joke that he used just to sleep with her.

"I spent three days worrying myself to death over you, and the minute you come back, you ignore me?! That I am fine with, believe me, I understand why you behaved like that. You were vulnerable; you were still hurt by what happened out in the Bahak System. That's to be expected with military personnel, I've interviewed Cerberus soldiers who've acted like this after they experienced something horrific as well. Unlike them, though, you know you could've come to me, you know that we could've talked about this! Why didn't you want to be open with me, why are you putting this… this wall between us? Don't you trust me, Andreas? Or do you think I am just some naive child that can't even begin to understand what you are going through? Didn't you think that I wanted to help you? Or is it because you didn't think that I could help you?" Kelly's voice quivered, and she quickly turned her head away from him. She was loosing her resolve talking to him. When she noticed his tender sapphire eyes, still so soft and full of love, it made her even more upset with his behavior. In truth, she wasn't even angry at his behavior. She was upset that he didn't feel he could open up to her. After everything they had been through, all the feelings that they shared with one another, he still didn't trust that she wanted to help him. That thought hurt her more than anything else that could have ever been done to her.

_Damn it, Andy. Stop looking at me like that! I am supposed to hate you right now; instead, I love you now more than ever. Why…why can't you just lose your temper with me? Yell at me, hit me, and just tell me to get out! Do something you bastard; don't just look at me like that. Don't make me feel sorry for yelling at you. I…I want to be angry right now. I don't want to feel like taking your face in my hands and kissing you. _

Shepard licked his lips uncomfortably. Despite the rage and anger she was displaying right now, his heart was swelling with love for this fiery red head. He knew he was right; she really was a strong woman. God damn it, was she a strong woman. He sank his shoulders out of shame. Andy shuffled his feet awkwardly and still tenderly looked at her. "Kelly, please-" Shepard meekly started to speak, but he was swiftly cut off.

"Don't you dare interrupt me, Andreas. Don't you dare…god damn you." She swiftly spun around to face him. She lost her control and allowed the salty water to pour from her emerald eyes.

As he watched those tiny droplets cascade down her soft cheeks, he had to fight the extremely powerful urge to take her beautiful face in his hands and gently wipe away her tears. Andreas wanted to take her in his arms and tell EDI to open up the communications channel to every room in this ship, so that everyone would know that this woman was the best thing that ever happened to him. Instead, he decided to take his well deserved lashings. Shepard forcefully struggled to keep his hands in his pockets, while she viciously beat him with her heated words.

"I thought you loved me…I thought that what we had was real. Now I have to find out second hand from Garrus that you're disbanding the team. That you're going to turn yourself in like some criminal. I mean my God! Did you even plan on telling me? Did you even want to?" Kelly threw her arms into the air in disgust and paced a few steps closer towards the door. Her shoulders were shaking from frustration. She balled up her hands into fists so tightly that they were a pale white, as opposed to her normal soft cream colored tone. She wasn't sobbing loudly, but her tears were still slowly dripping down her cheeks. They tapped against the metal tiling as loudly as any bullet.

Shepard couldn't help but let his eyes fixate on her. Despite how angrily she was acting towards him, he knew that all of this was coming from love and not hatred. That small detail made him smile, while she wasn't looking of course. The fact that she came looking for him, the fact that she was willing to fight for him, that made him realize how truly lucky he really was. She loved him, and evidently she was more than willing to fight for him. "Kelly-" He tried once again to pierce her rage with his voice, but she once again denied him even one word.

"Don't 'Kelly', me! Now, was anything you told me that morning true?"

Her question exploded in the room, only a heavy silence remained afterward. Her accusation made him realize what she was really asking him. She didn't believe that he really loved her. That quiet realization hurt more than anything that rocket round from the mech could've done to him. _How could she even doubt that I love her? _A stupid question, even Shepard realized that. He hadn't exactly given her a reason to feel otherwise.

"Was all that stuff about 'love' just bedroom talk? You just told me what I wanted to hear so I would screw you?! Is that all I am to you? Am I some dumb slut, a cheap whore to be used and cast aside when you're all finished? Or was I just some prize, another notch to add to your bedpost so you could admire what you've taken to bed? Stop me if I guess right, Shepard!"

_Shepard? _It was funny how his own name could be used as a weapon against him. Not since the day they met all those months ago had she ever called him Shepard. Andreas sure, but only at…intimate moments. She had been the only person in his life to call him Andy. Even Ashley and his parents called him by his full name. To him; her calling him Andy was a special bond they shared, as if 'Andy' was her name for him and hers alone. Hearing her use his last name made him realize something, he was losing this fight, and he was losing fast. If he didn't say something and soon, he would lose her for good. He couldn't hold back how he felt about her anymore, not that he wanted to either. _Red, forgive me, but damn it…I want you so badly right now. _Andy closed the distance between them and forcefully took her left forearm in his hand.

She struggled of course, but even injured, his immense strength pulled her forward with little resistance. Kelly was naturally opposed to this display of affection. She struggled, like a horse caught by a lasso. Kelly shrieked like a banshee and thrashed every step of the way. She was crying at this point, angrily swearing at him. "No! Get your damn hands off me you son of a-"

Kelly didn't get the opportunity to say one more word. His lips found their target. Andreas brought his free arm around her waist, while his other arm hoisted her left forearm well above his shoulders. Kelly slammed her free hand against his rock hard pectorals in the hopes that that would make him would stop. It didn't work, Andy's firm grasp only tightened around her. She could feel the tension in her uniform, as his hands greedily pulled at it. Kelly's constant struggling hurt his ribs a lot. Despite the pain though, he had never been more comfortable as he had been at this moment. Feeling her body against his again, the scent of her fresh floral soap invading his nostrils, the taste of her lips, his hunger had finally been satiated.

Shepard drew her even closer to him. His lustful movements were so hard and so fast that a tiny gasp escaped from Kelly into his mouth. Her face grew crimson from a repressed sexual desire that was slowly snaking its way to the surface. Kelly angrily slammed her clenched fist against his sculpted trapezius. Seeing that her struggling was getting her nowhere, Kelly relaxed and opened her hand. She voraciously explored his thick neck muscles and well sculpted clavicle. His neck was tense from all her pummeling, yet the muscles themselves were smooth to the touch and yielded to her fingertips. Feeling how firm and flawless his muscles were beneath her greedy fingers made her realize how badly she wanted him. _Oh God, Andy! _She stopped resisting his advances and gave into her affections.

Her lips graciously joined the dance with his. Kelly's tongue expelled from between her soft lips and locked with Andy's. Their tongues gleefully embraced, two old friends reunited at last. She swiftly moved her hand from his neck muscle, to the back of his head, and she tightly gripped his charcoal locks in her hand. Her suspended arm ceased its resistance, as did Andy's. Shepard loosened his grip around her wrist and allowed her to have her arm back. He was happy that he did, the minute it was freed it slithered around his neck and allowed her body to truly embrace him.

Shepard moved his hands from around her pear shaped waist line to her soft glutes. He lightly cupped each of them in each of his palms, and she secretly smiled at how amazing it felt. Although, she wasn't about to let him have all the fun, Kelly pushed herself further into him, making him rest his buttocks on the now empty desk. Kelly then took his lower lip between her own lips and lightly suckled on it. The sensation was euphoric and made Shepard rise to the occasion. His arm hairs rose quickly, and if had he less control he would've screamed her name. _Damn it, Red! You know how to drive me crazy! _While he was not about to submit to her, he did give her the satisfaction of letting her know that she was on the right track. A low throaty moan escaped his lips while she worked.

His tongue was the canvas hers the paintbrush. Kelly lightly ran hers from the tip of his tongue, to its center. She could taste his breaths in her mouth; each one was warm, and tasted like cinnamon. She savored the flavor for as long as possible before swallowing.

Soon it was Andreas' turn to assume control. His tongue was no stranger to her mouth; it easily bypassed Kelly's lips and embraced her tongue in a warm hug. While hers had been more spur of the moment and fervid. His was slow, patient, and tender. She quivered as his tongue coiled its way around hers, lightly flicking the tip of it teasingly. His tongue was soft, and each of his movements made her purr into him. She could feel her cheeks burning with sexual desire; all her anger, all of her fears, and all of her sadness melted away while her lover enveloped her. Kelly shut her eyes tightly. She tried in vain to hold back warm tears. The salty rain poured down her cheeks, and she forgot everything except for one simple fact: she loved him.

Shepard's breathing grew sharper, which reminded Kelly that her lover was not exactly at the peak of his condition for this sort of activity. With a deep regret that she couldn't go further, Kelly ended their kiss abruptly and pried her lips free from his. Their mouths were still inches apart and both parties had to fight the urge to reconnect. Small strands of saliva remained between them, forming small cords of love that bound them tightly.

Once Andy noticed this, and he brought his lips in to gently wipe the saliva away. The temptation was too great for him. Once he saw her glistening lips, still slightly a reddish pink from the heat of the moment. He brought his lips in for a few more pecks, which she gladly accepted. Each of Andy's kisses was short, but damn if they didn't make her weak kneed over him.

After the last of his infatuated kisses, Andy gently pulled his lips away. Kelly looked dreamily at him. He gave her one of his beautiful smiles, the kind of smile that would've made any girl crumble like a dry leaf before him.

She brought her hand to his cheek and stroked it lightly. It was clammy and hot from a slight fever. Yet it was just as smooth and soft as any silk she had ever felt. Kelly let out a defeated sigh and brought herself closer for a tight hug. "Damn it, I hate you." She was slightly giggling at this omission. The very thought of her hating Andy was an insane notion that she could never convince herself was true.

Shepard smiled at her and gently lifted her face back to eye level. His hand tenderly stoked her tear stained cheek. Evidently, he was still remorseful over the fact that he had hurt her so badly. "Hate me? Now why would you say that, Kelly?" Andreas teased happily.

Kelly stood up on her toes and brought her cheek against his. The first of what would hopefully be more flesh on flesh contact. She gently rubbed her cheek against his pitch black stubble from yet another long mission. It scratched her cheek, made her skin itch, yet she had never felt a more glorious feeling than his flesh against hers. "Because you made me forget why I was mad at you," Kelly admitted in a low hush, after her desire for contact had been satiated.

"I think it had something to do with me ignoring you, and me not telling you about the fact that I was leaving." He turned his head slightly towards the back of her head and planted a gentle kiss on her scalp. Andy couldn't help but give into his primal urges; he hungrily inhaled the scent of her rose colored hair. The smell was pungent with the flavors of fresh cut flowers and ripe fruit. Violets and pomegranate, he remembered that was Kelly's favorite shampoo. It was a light, sweet smell, and it invoked all the tender emotions that he held for this woman. _Fitting that this lovely flower smells as beautiful as she looks, _Andreas smiled once again, before planting one more kiss softly on her scalp.

Kelly gently pulled herself away from him. Her tender green eyes connected with his worn blue eyes. She looked at him almost maternally, and he tightened his grip around her, as if he were silently begging her to stay. "Why didn't you tell me, Andreas?" Kelly gently placed her hands on his broad shoulders to keep herself locked in his grasp.

Shepard inhaled a big precious gulp of air. "I…I didn't know what to say to you. God help me, I really didn't. It sounds like such a stupid excuse when I say it out loud." He turned his head away from hers to hide his shame.

Kelly wasn't about to let him recede from her. She moved her right hand to his cheek and turned his head back to her. Her emerald eyes sparkled before him. Those tender eyes melted away all his insecurities, replacing any negative emotions with love, tenderness, and acceptance.

"It isn't a stupid reason, Sweetheart. Why don't we just start with the truth, Andreas?" She ran her finger tips down his clammy cheek as a gentle way to coax him into admitting how he felt. She remembered reading a medical journal on how to get couples to connect emotionally. For males, human one's at least, physical connection was key. Not only was this subconsciously showing Andy that it was okay to open up to her, but it also proved that she accepted and loved him because of it. Oh, and it also added the benefit of getting to feel Andy's skin against hers, which was definitely a big perk for her.

Unfortunately, Andreas' resistance grew even stronger. He pulled away from her, either from disappointment in himself or from anger at his weakness, she couldn't say. He moved closer to his desk where his private terminal once resided and planted his hands firmly on the surface. Shepard sank his head in remorse. "What 'truth' do you want me to tell you, Kelly? That I was scared, that losing you would destroy me? Damn it, Red, don't you get it?! I didn't talk to you because I had no fucking idea what to say to you!" He stole a quick glance at Kelly after that sudden emotional outburst. Her face was unchanged. It was still sympathetic and full of love. Andreas realized that she didn't deserve that and offered a low apology as penance.

"Well, why didn't you come to me then? We could've sat down; we could've gotten through this together. "

"What could I tell you, Kelly? Oh, hey, I'm leaving. Thanks for all the sex. I'll see you later? Sorry, that isn't good enough for me…and it shouldn't be good enough for you, either."

Kelly said nothing, but she walked to his side to comfort him. Her hand gently landed on his shoulder, and she lightly stroked it in consolation. Andreas jerked away from her tender touch almost immediately. It could've been a knee jerk reaction, or it could've been self directed anger, maybe it was remorse over his short comings. Andreas could be such a complicated man at times. "Andreas…look at me," she softly spoke to him. Her vocalization wasn't so much an order, as it was a request. Andreas acknowledged her invitation and turned his head toward her voice. Her eyes were fully of love and sympathy for him. She genuinely wanted to help him.

"Kelly, I don't want this to be goodbye. Damn it…the last time I said that, it was final. I love you, Kelly…more than I have ever loved anyone before in my entire life. I know that this needs to happen, but…shit, Red. Why can't anything ever be simple for us? I am tired of all this bullshit, Kelly! I'm so fucking sick of all of it! I'm sick of Cerberus and the Illusive Man! I'm sick of all this death and violence! I'm sick of pretending that I am something I'm not! I'm tired of everyone saying that I'm a hero. Because I'm not a hero, I'm a killer. I killed 300,000 innocent people, Red. I kill people for credits on a daily basis. Blood money for services rendered. I keep lying to myself, saying that it is all for the greater good, whatever the fuck that is. I'm just sick of having to accept that lie anymore, Kelly. I don't know how much more bloodshed I can take. I'm supposed to be better than this. Instead, I'm nothing but a traitor, a murderer, and a war criminal. The Alliance has every right to lock me up and throw away the key."

"That's enough, Andreas!" Kelly's voice pierced the air like a blade. This sudden outburst caused Andy to rise and face her. She was furious once again, not with anger this time, but with defiance. She obviously didn't feel the same way as he did. Kelly took his hands in hers and stared directly into his ocean blue eyes.

"Andreas, you are a hero…and you always will be a hero. When Elysium was under attack, who single handedly held off over ten thousand slavers, pirates, and mercenary groups so that the colony could be saved? That was you. When Saren and Sovereign were laying siege to every colony in the Traverse with armies of geth troopers at their side, who was it that took a stand to stop them? Again, that was you. When the Collectors were abducting human colonies by the thousands and every government organization turned its back to them, who rose to the occasion to put a stop to it? That's right it was you, Andreas! If you are scared of leaving me that is fine, but don't you dare stand here insulting yourself, and expect me to keep my mouth shut. You have sacrificed so much for this galaxy, my love. At the cost of life and limb, you save people on a daily basis. So what if this one time you failed? Guess what…you're human! You're not God, you're not a superhero. You are just a human, a human with an incorruptible spirit and a strong moral conviction, but a human nonetheless. You have to stop being so hard on yourself, Andy."

Andreas smiled at her, maybe the biggest grin she had ever seen on him. It made her blush, and she returned his grin gladly. He authoritatively strode closer to her and took her into his arms. She loved it when he did this sort of thing; it reminded her that she belonged to him. It made her feel safe, comfortable…loved. He compressed her tightly, and her voluptuous bust pressed against his own broad chest. To say that the feeling didn't stir Shepard's lust would've been a gross understatement. If he were in better condition he would've already ripped her clothes off here and now to ravish her. He was so enamored by her that he couldn't think straight. "I'm only human, huh?" He gave her another playful leer while nudging his nose against her cheek. He once again began planting soft and gentle kisses on Kelly's cheek.

Kelly laughed warmly at Andy; his nose was hitting just the right spot. He couldn't help but bring his lips back to hers. This kiss was tongueless, yet it was still just as moist. After the short affectionate pucker, he released her lips. "You are. Maybe when this is all over…I can help remind you just how human you really are." She gave him a contented smile and planted a final goodbye kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Andy. I'll check on you tomorrow morning." Kelly turned on her heel and started off toward the door, when Andy suddenly grabbed her by her wrist. She quickly stopped moving and stood in dead silence. Her heart was racing in her chest, the beats drummed in her ears so loudly, that she was surprised that Andy couldn't hear them. _What did Andy want? _

"Kelly…could you stay with me tonight, please?" Andreas tightened his grip around her wrist. His words were so quiet, so distant. Hearing him ask her to stay honestly shocked Kelly, then again, she knew why he was asking her to stay. He wanted her tonight.

_Andy, please, don't make me say no to you. _In truth, there was nothing else in this entire galaxy that she wanted other than to give herself to him. She had to wrestle with the urge to rip his clothes off a few seconds ago so she could ravish him. Fortunately, her brain was not nearly as cloudy now as it had been a few seconds ago. Not only would sex be painful for him right now, but it could also harm Andy even more. She wasn't about to risk his health for anything carnal, no matter how much they both may have wanted to. In the end, his desires and in turn her desires would have to be put on hold for now. She loved him, Kelly waited for ten years to be with him, she could wait a few more days. The only problem now was how to explain that to Andreas, without making it seem like she didn't want to stay because she didn't trust his intentions.

"Andreas, please," Kelly softly spoke. "You're injured, we can't do **that** tonight. Maybe once you are fully healed, but not right now. I don't want to hurt you."

Shepard spun her around quickly, and he stared into her bright lime green eyes. She had almost forgotten how beautiful Andy's ocean blue eyes were. She had noticed them before of course, God had she ever. In fact, it was Andy's eyes that struck her when she first laid her eyes on him when she was sixteen. Even through the cameras on Elysium, it was his intense sapphire eyes that drew her to him. True, he was incredibly handsome; he had very well defined cheekbones, an extremely muscular body that was very well displayed in his snug uniform. Not to mention the fact that he was so incredibly charming that it was hard not to fall for him. However, it was those ocean blue eyes that drew her into him. They were so mysterious, yet inviting at the same time. It was easy for someone to get lost in those small oceans. Now those cerulean eyes were on her, telling her that she was his, and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

"Kelly, is that really how you think I see our relationship? Kelly, I'm not asking you to stay with me because I want your body. I'm asking you to stay because…I need you. So, will you…please," Andreas gently raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it tenderly. "Stay with me?" His expression didn't change. It was a strange mixture of vulnerability and puppy dog eyes.

_He needs me? Oh, Andy, you're trying so hard to be open right now. What kind of therapist would I be if I turned my back on a patient that has just made a breakthrough? Then again, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I turned my back on my boyfriend when he needed me the most? _Kelly gave him a smile of approval and nodded happily. She sauntered over to her lover and stood on her feet to kiss him tenderly on the forehead. Now it was Andy's turn to blush, his fair skin turned a bright beet red at her tender display of affection.

"C'mon, let's get you into bed," She whispered happily and took his hand in hers to lead him to the mattress. The sheer joy Shepard felt as she lightly gripped his hand was indescribable. Kelly's hand was much softer than his and was definitely warmer than his clammy skin was right now. She firmly grasped his hand and coaxed him forward. All the while, he was lucky enough to be able to stare at this beautiful woman all he wanted, without having to hide his affection for fear of prying eyes.

"Do you know how many times I wished you would have told me that?" He teased happily, as he descended the steps.

She giggled at Andreas' dumb joke and countered with a joke of her own. "Do you know how many times I wished you had asked?"

Andreas laughed heartily, and that definitely helped her forget everything that had happened over the course of these two days. It was easy for him to get Kelly to laugh; he was irresistibly charming. Andy always seemed to have a great joke here and there whenever the situation demanded it. However, Kelly couldn't recall ever having made him laugh. Maybe this was just a fluke, or maybe he just enjoyed her company that evening. Either way, just hearing his laugh made all that worrying worthwhile. 

They stopped at the side of his bed, and he unbuckled his belt so he could remove his shirt. Kelly took the belt from him. While she was putting it into his wardrobe, Andy tried to gently lift his top, but his expressions of agony made her quickly grab hold of his hands. Kelly gave him a motherly glare and pouted her lips at him.

"What?" He laughed slightly at her expression. He tried to act proud through a wince.

"You can be such a baby sometimes." Kelly shook her head at his stubbornness. "Here, just let me do it."

Shepard complied and released his shirt from his grasp. Kelly gripped the bottom half of his uniform's top and gently began raising it. She lifted the uncomfortably tight uniform above his abdomen as slowly and gently as possible to avoid discomforting Andy. "These Cerberus uniforms breathe well normally, not so much when you are nursing four injured ribs." She sighed as she continued to lift the uniform's top.

"Speaking from personal experience, Kelly?"

Kelly briefly stopped working to look at him in his eyes and then returned to raising the tight apparel over his pecks. "I bruised my stomach a few years ago while I was working at this Cerberus research base out in the Voyager Cluster. It was my first week on base, and I didn't pay any attention to where I was walking, and I tripped over the first step at the top of the stairs. When I landed, I smacked my stomach against the floor and bruised it pretty badly. For the next three days, I had to live with a huge purple bruise on my stomach. Every morning I dreaded putting on my uniform for work. Putting that shirt on was so painful that I nearly passed out. I know it isn't the same thing. Your injuries are definitely a lot worse than anything I've ever had. Still, I know how badly it sucks to have to wear these damn fatigues with an injury. Just…let me know if I'm hurting you, okay?" Kelly managed to get the uniform over his shoulders without too much difficulty. Except, getting his head out from the collar without hurting him, that was pretty difficult. Then, Shepard had to extend his arms so Kelly could pull the shirt over his forearms. He grunted in pain, and his face contorted at the pain in his sides.

This caused her to move much slower when she removed his uniform from his forearms. She held the top in her hands and gently began folding it away for the evening. "Sorry," Kelly quickly added to insure Andy that she regretted making him wince from pain.

Andreas smiled lovingly at his yeoman, his angel. As he silently watched her fold the uniform's shoulders behind the shirt, he couldn't help but imagine the future that they might have with one another. That this could in fact, be a daily occurrence. Maybe one day he could get to share a house with this woman. He could wake up next to her every morning and kiss her. Then he could kiss her goodnight, just before going to bed. He could have the opportunity to show her everyday how much he loved her, how lost he would be in this galaxy without her. He took a few steps closer to Kelly so that he stood directly behind her.

By now, Kelly had already folded his uniform's shirt and held the neatly made square of clothing in her hand. Her fingers danced along the orange holo-panel to open the drawer containing his dirty uniforms. Suddenly, she felt his arms constrict around her waist, and she smiled secretly. Kelly placed the uniform in his drawer and gave into his advances.

Andy brushed his lips against her neck, teasing her for a few precious seconds with his warm breathing. The sudden rush of warm air against her bare flesh gave her goosebumps, and she giggled lightly at the heavenly feeling that she was experiencing. Andy didn't waste any time getting to work. He planted a few kisses on the base of her neck, slowly working his way up to her eardrum. She was moaning loudly, and she gripped his forearms to keep herself from collapsing with rapture. Once at her tiny ear lobes, which were hidden playfully behind a red curtain of her sweet floral smelling hair, Andy gently began nibbling on them. He suckled and savored her flesh as though it were his last meal. It was fantastic. The experience was just as unbelievable as it had been in her dream not a few hours ago. "Have I told you how much I love you?" He whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek lovingly.

"I think…I remember you telling me that once or twice before…" She was talking through moans.

Andy turned her around so that he could look into her shimmering eyes. Those eyes always dominated him, controlled him. She smiled at him, and he returned it gladly. She was so beautiful, sometimes he had to just stop and appreciate how truly lucky he was.

Kelly looked towards the base of his neck and saw something that she knew shouldn't be there. The flesh around the base of his neck was a dark purple, and it reached all the way from his neck to his upper pectorals. It was easily the largest bruise Kelly had ever seen and made her past bruise seem like a tiny blemish.

Once he noticed her attention go to that unsightly mark on his skin, he attempted to bring her back to him. "Red…look at me." Andy gently touched her cheek with his hand in consolation. Kelly closed her eyes to keep herself from crying at the sight of his injuries. She tried to shut out how close of a call this mission really was for him.

Andy wasn't about to let her recede from him. He gently raised her face to eye level. "Kelly, look at me, please." He gently asked her once again. Kelly opened her eyes to look at him. His expression was tender and full of love. "Kelly, I'm fine. I came back to you. Remember that promise I made to you before I left for Arahtot? I kept it, didn't I?"

She nodded at the memory of that morning. She had almost forgotten about it, now those memories came flooding back in a flash. She remembered how that Alliance admiral embarrassingly caught her half naked, the feeling of fear that she felt when he was given that mission. How Andy held her in his arms and promised to come back to her no matter what. He said she was something special to come back to. _How could I ever have doubted that Andy loves me?_

"I can promise you something else, too." Andreas' admission made her attention dart to him. "I have never been as happy as I am when I'm with you. Kelly, you mean everything to me."

She nodded in silence, and she blushed heavily. She wanted to cry at that admission. Knowing the fact that Andreas loved her with all his heart made his leaving all the more difficult to deal with. He leaned in closer to kiss her. Kelly's lips grazed his ever so slightly, just barely teasing his upper lip with her warm flesh. The sensation drove both parties insane. Andy connected his lips with hers, and she happily embraced him. Shepard grabbed her by the waist, and they both leaned against the wall while he worked. No tongue was used this time, to both parties' disappointments. That disappointment was short lived though; it was soon replaced by elation. Kelly could feel the warmth of his flesh while she hungrily gripped his white cotton undershirt. While Andy could appreciate holding this beautiful woman in his arms for as long as he wanted to without any interruptions.

Kelly clutched his hair in her hands and brought her leg up so that she could wrap it around him. Andy moved slowly from her soft lips, to her smooth skin. Leaving a trail of kisses on his way toward the back of her jaw, Kelly let out tiny whimpers of ecstasy while he worked. She wanted him more than anything right now.

Unfortunately for them both, reality and her mind finally caught up with her. She remembered that they couldn't go further than this. That doing so would only mean Andy would get hurt. "Andy, wait," She breathlessly pulled away from his embrace.

His expression read confusion at her refusal to continue. Seeing how disappointed Andy was that they couldn't continue was just as painful as any physical wound. "What's wrong, Kelly? I thought you were enjoying it?" 

"I am…I mean I was, it's just…Andreas we can't do this. Please, can we wait…for me?" Her bright exuberant face was down cast with melancholy despondency. She didn't like denying Andy anything, especially if it involved her. This was a disappointment for her too.

Hearing her plead with him made Andy realize he was being selfish and immature. He could appreciate Kelly for more than just physical attributes. Shepard didn't need physical intimacy to prove that he loved this woman. "It's okay, Red. We can wait for as long as we both need to heal. I don't suppose I could get one more kiss before bed though, could I?"

She gave him a wry smile and returned her lips to his. This kiss was more intense than any of the previous ones, wet and full of passion. Kelly gripped his cheeks in her palms and kept him close to her for the duration of the kiss. After thirty seconds of bliss, she released her captive. "You don't have to put a limit on those, Andy." Kelly breathlessly laid herself against the wardrobe's cold metal frame to cool off.

Andreas tried to unbutton his pants. However, his consciousness got the better of him, and he was forced to ask. "Do you mind if I take my pants off? Or would you be more comfortable if I left them on?"

Kelly could tell he asked this because he assumed she didn't trust him. She took her seat on the foot of the bed and adjusted her hair. "I trust you, Andy. I know you wouldn't do anything I didn't want to. If you want them off, just tell me, and I'll help you. If you don't, then that's just as fine."

Kelly tossed out a small hint to make him feel better and perhaps plant the idea that she would still be interested when the time came. "Besides, I have plenty of good memories already of what's underneath the curtain." Kelly smiled mischievously and made tiny circles on the comforter.

That comment definitely got the reaction she had hoped for. Andreas coughed slightly, this time it was from shock and not his injuries. His face bashfully burned a bright red. "Um…wow…uh, is it hot in here, or is it just me?" Andy licked his lips nervously and brought his arm up to rub some sweat from the back of his neck.

"I'm pretty sure that's just your fever, Casanova." Kelly giggled at his embarrassment.

The name choice made him arch a brow, but he decided against asking her. He would just look that name up later via his omni-tool. "You're probably right." Shepard gently lowered himself onto the bed and sprawled out on the cold bedsheets. He sighed and closed his eyes happily at the heavenly feeling of the soft sheets underneath him. Andreas was behind Kelly so she had to turn around slightly to see him. He looked so peaceful and happy that it made her smile. Andy had been running himself ragged these past few days; she was relieved that he could feel a little peace. Kelly ran her fingertips through his hair, gently massaging his sore scalp. He was moaning at the feeling of her fingers gently running through his hair.

"You know, Red. This is so damn comfortable. I think I might just hit the hay like this."

She laughed happily at him being satisfied and leaned in closer kiss him on the cheek. "I'm sure you could, Andy. Just the same, I'm sure you would feel even better if half your body wasn't hanging off of the bed."

"Again, you're probably right, Red."

"Just let me undo your boots and you can put your feet up, okay?" She rose from the bed and moved over to the left side of the mattress to remove said boots.

Andy propped himself up on his elbows and tried to protest. "Kelly, please, I can do it. You don't have to-"

She gave him an extended shush to calm him down. He did silence himself, though not happily. Andy loved her, but he felt she shouldn't have to cater to him. Andy appreciated her just because she loved him, not for any indentured service.

Kelly lowered herself to unfasten his boot straps. Shepard was compelled to ask her a question that had been bothering him since the day they met. "Kelly, how did you get to be so perfect?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, I appreciate everything that you've done for me…don't get me wrong. It's just, from the day we met; you were so loving, so open with me. What made you trust me?"

"You mean besides the fact that you were the savior of the Citadel?" Kelly managed to undo one of his boots, and she gently removed it from his left foot.

"Well, I guess there was that, but nothing else? I mean, I was Alliance, you had no way of knowing how I would treat you."

"Well, since I am being honest, Andy. I guess my mother had a lot to do with it. She always wanted me and my sisters to believe the best in people. More often than not, people proved her right. She had a funny way of bringing out the best in everyone around her. I'll admit that I was nervous when we first met, but then I just thought of what my mom used to tell me everyday before I went to school."

"And that was?" Andreas asked her quietly while she undid his last boot strap from his right foot.

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving…creates love."

He smiled at Kelly; she was certainly right about that last bit. Her selfless personality was definitely what drew him in. So many of his crew members during this mission would come to him for help, yet he had no one to turn to when he needed an ear. Except for Kelly, of course, she was the only one who asked how he was doing. She was the only one that loved him and treated him with acceptance. Even though he had given her no reason to, he was so lucky that he found her. If he had lived to be as old as an asari matriarch he never would stop reminding her of that. "Your mother sounds a lot like you, Kelly."

"She was, it was because of her that I am the person that you see before you today. She always wanted us to see all the good this galaxy had in it. Maybe that makes me naïve, but I like to believe that she was right. People may make mistakes, but that is just a part of being alive. No one is perfect."

"You're pretty close, Kelly."

"So are you, Andy."

Kelly removed his final boot and stood up to pop her back. Andy brought his legs onto the bed, and she walked over to the right side of his mattress. She once again set herself down on the bed and silently took in the feeling of being next to Andy again. Shepard adjusted his posture so that he was resting his upper back on his pillow, while he propped himself up on his elbows so that he could see her. Kelly had yet to turn around, and he could tell something was on her mind.

"Kelly, what is it?"

Kelly adjusted herself so she could see him. She didn't have to say anything for him to know something was bothering her. "It's nothing, Andy, honest." She offered him a half smile as a red herring to draw him away from what she was thinking.

"Are you sure? I want to help if there is something wrong. You can tell me anything, Kelly. You know that, don't you?" He moved his left hand closer to her left hand and squeezed it tightly. He really did want to help her, but this was an old memory, there wasn't a lot that Andy could do except listen. She nodded in understanding and leaned in to kiss him on his lips. It was a short kiss, and she had to position herself carefully so that she would not put any pressure on his chest.

Kelly released his lips after their short kiss, and she ran her hand slowly down his grizzled cheek. "I know I can. Thank you, Andy. Trust me though, I really am okay. Please, don't worry about me."

He nodded compliantly before releasing her hand. Kelly laid herself on the mattress and rested her head on the pillow. The pillow was much softer than she remembered; it was funny how she could've almost forgotten the feeling of a pillow that she had just felt not two days earlier. Then again, two days of being separated from Andy may as well have been two decades. How was she going to manage without him?

Kelly was resting comfortably on her back and neither party made any sort of attempt at a conversation. Kelly kept her head pointed toward the cabin's skylight. She didn't dare look at Andy to break the silence. Even though she had no logical reason to feel apprehensive, she always had a problem with feeling confident when she was near Andy. Here was this hero, this selfless exemplar of humanity. He could've had any woman in the galaxy, hell; he could've had any woman on this ship. It wasn't like there was a shortage of beautiful women on the Normandy that he could've chosen over her.

There was the obvious choice for him, Tali. The young quarian had been with Shepard since the beginning, she stood by his side when very few individuals would have even dreamed of taking on Andy's assignments. She was also incredibly charming, in an awkwardly cute sort of way. Kelly shared a conversation or two with Tali. Being a quarian, she expected Tali to treat her with hostility due to her position with Cerberus. Not only was Tali extremely cooperative and friendly with Kelly, but the young quarian was also very open about her past with Shepard. Kelly was lucky she wasn't the jealous type. Otherwise, she may have been a bit more concerned about Tali's not so subtle hints at her crush on Andy.

Then there was Liara T' Soni, his asari friend. Like any asari, she was beautiful and extremely sensuous. Though Liara was something far different from the typical asari maidens that Kelly had worked with in the past, it was almost as though she were unaware of her beauty. While that may have sounded like a disadvantage, it may have actually been her greatest strength. She wasn't as stuck up or conceited as most asari were, which made her seem approachable. She was also an extremely talented scientist, biotic, and intel broker. Liara was the sort of woman, or asari rather, that could back up Andy in a fight, not just wait on the ship and hope that he made it back safely. After Andreas helped her take down the broker on Hagalaz, he invited her to his cabin to catch up. Again, Kelly was lucky she wasn't the jealous type. His friend showed up wearing an elegant dress that perfectly contoured to her curvaceous figure. To say her appearance garnered attention would have been a gross understatement. Kelly practically heard Hadley and Matthew's necks snap at the sight of her. Who could blame them? The asari were practically walking super models from birth.

Of course there was Samara, the other asari in their lives. She was even more gorgeous than Liara, if that were even possible. Her armor was that of a warrior, yet it also screamed femininity and elegance. Kelly had to admit that she was even a tad bit jealous of Samara's poise and grace. Kelly would have given anything to have Samara's shapely legs, her pouty come hither lips, or even just her sultry and alluring eyes. Then again, Kelly knew she really didn't have a lot to worry about with Samara. The asari was initially distant and cold with everyone aboard the ship, aside from Andy.

Andy could've gone after Jack, because even though Jack would never admit it, she was attracted to him. Kelly could see that right away during her initial interview with Jack. Jack was proud to admit how many men she seduced with just her looks and personality alone. Kelly had to give Jack some credit. Jack was the most cunning, bold, and strong willed woman that she had ever met. Men are attracted to confidence and self reliance, which were attributes that Jack definitely had in immeasurable quantities. Jack's choice of apparel, or lack thereof, also could've been a major advantage for her. It definitely didn't leave much to the imagination. Then again, that was probably just a part of Jack's confident and brazen personality. She wasn't ashamed of her body like most women were. She was unapologetic of her nudity and lewd behavior. Jack's confidence was definitely a trait that Kelly deeply respected. There had been plenty of times during this mission that Kelly had often wished she had been more confident, more bold in her actions rather than just timid. Hell, there were times during these past few days where she could've used some of that raw nerve. Maybe if she had more confidence, more courage, she wouldn't always have to put Andy's life at risk just so he could save her. Kelly didn't mind that he was chivalrous and felt the need to defend her constantly. That was just who Andy was. One thing that did bother though was that one of these days she is going to distract him so badly that he will get hurt because of her…or worse. Andy was her knight in shining armor, her guardian angel when she needed one the most, yet even knights and angels were fallible. She didn't want to lose him.

Finally, there was Shepard's XO, Miranda Lawson. What couldn't Kelly say about XO Lawson that wasn't obvious from just a thirty second conversation? The woman was as beautiful as she was dangerous. She was confident, mysterious, and absolutely brilliant. It wasn't outlandish to think that Andreas would've gone after her. Her uniform would probably send any man's tongue wagging. Especially considering that she was genetically superior to the average human woman, and Andy was the perfect human specimen. They were practically made for one another. Miranda did have one flaw though; she could be a bit frosty and unapproachable at times. That may have been what deterred Andreas. Admittedly, Kelly often found herself petrified by Miranda as well. Lawson could be even more terrifying than a Krogan when she was angry. She never raised her voice or became physically violent. The Aussie preferred to utilize one of the oldest forms of torture in the book…psychological warfare. Kelly felt that was even worse than just punching the individual and getting the pain over with.

Still, in the end Shepard chose her. Out of all the beautiful and talented women on this ship that he could have courted, it was his plain Jane secretary that captured his heart. She was honored that she could bring him so much joy. She hoped that for as long as she continued to live, that she would keep doing so.

Kelly turned on her side and looked at Andy. The bed let out a loud moan as she shifted in place. Andy turned his attention to her and smiled at this voluptuous beauty that rested at his side. She wanted to say something, but just looking at Andy made her mouth dry up as quickly as a desert. Her palms were slightly damp from nerves, and she unconsciously licked her lips.

"So," both parties said in unison in order to break the tension. That simultaneous statement caused a chorus of laughter between them. Kelly placed her hands underneath her pillow and stared dreamily at Andy.

He in turn blushed lightly and cleared his throat. "You first, Beautiful," Shepard spoke though a grin, and he patiently awaited her reply.

"I was just going to ask you, since we can't, um…you know. Maybe you would like to talk? If you're feeling up to it, of course," Kelly quickly averted her eyes out of embarrassment.

"Talk, about what?" His face became a question mark.

"About anything, Andy, things have been so crazy these past few months. We really haven't had a lot of time to get to know one another. Maybe we could just start talking and see where we go from there?"

"Kelly, you can stop dancing around it. I know what you really want me to talk about."

Her lips pursed in confusion, and she raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Andy…I don't know what-"

Andreas sternly interrupted her with his theory. "You want me to talk about Arahtot. But I am just not ready for that yet, Kelly. So please…stop asking me, all right?" His normally genial voice was forceful with a slight annoyed hint underlining his every word.

In truth, that was her real motivation behind the suggestion, all though she wasn't about to admit that to him. She honestly hadn't expected him to read through the disguise so quickly. Then again, they had been spending a lot of time near one another, perhaps some of her psychoanalytical skills had inadvertently been passed onto him. Or maybe she just hadn't been nearly as subtle as she figured. Either way, she felt terrible for pressuring him. Kelly rolled on her opposite side from him, rather than let Andreas see her shame.

"I'm sorry, Andy. I didn't mean to-"

Again Shepard interrupted her. "Kelly, please, don't act like you did anything wrong."

Kelly rolled to face him and saw that he looked generally saddened at the reaction that she had just displayed. "Kelly, I'm sorry. That was rude. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'd love to talk…on one condition." He offered her a mischievous smile to coax her into the conversation.

Kelly returned his smile and rolled her eyes at him. "Uh-oh. Okay, what's your condition, Andy?"

Andy's eyes narrowed on her, and his grin widened. "I want you to go first. Tell me, who is Kelly Chambers? I want to know everything there is to know about the most fantastic woman in the galaxy."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Love."

They both laughed at Kelly's joke. Inside though, Kelly was incredibly nervous at the situation, it was more self conscious doubt than anything else. She was interesting on paper, with several majors and minors under her belt, a diverse array of foreign languages, even a few certificates. She even had a little weapons training here and there. This might've impressed any ordinary employer, but how could she hope to impress the savior of the galaxy with these meager self accomplishments? Shepard probably did an entire resumes worth of note worthy achievements in just a few hours.

"I hope it will. So fire away, Kelly." Andreas adjusted his posture slightly so he could tower over her.

"There's nothing special about me, Andy. You probably do more interesting things in the first five minutes of the day, than I do in an entire year." Kelly laughed at her own joke, this time he didn't. She looked to him and saw a monotone expression on his comely face. Her face burned a bright pink, and she offered a quick apology.

"Kelly," Shepard's right arm rolled over his stomach to lightly grasp her face. "I think you are the most interesting woman I have ever met. Whether we're just sitting here talking about the Reapers or our favorite color, there is no way I wouldn't enjoy talking to you. I love you, Red."

She smiled at him. _Damn it, Andy. Why do you always have to be so charming?_ Kelly kissed the inner palm of his hand and nodded submissively. "Okay, Romeo. I get the hint, I'll go first." Kelly sighed and sat up on her buttocks so that they were somewhat at eye level. Her arms rested over her knees, and she brought her legs up to keep herself upright. "So…is there anywhere in particular I should start? Or should I just babble on, Sweetheart?" Kelly lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Hm, well let's start with something simple. Mom and Dad, did you grow up with both? Where'd you grow up, or where did you go to school? I know you have one sister, what's her name? Do you have any other siblings?"

"Whoa, slow down there, Andy. One question at a time, please," Kelly raised her hands as a gesture to slow down. She was tittering happily at this point; knowing that Andy was so interested in her made her want to tell him everything. The only part now, was where to begin?

"Well, my parents were a couple colony yokels from a small place out on the edge of the Terminus, New Canton, I think, Mom rarely talked about it. My dad was a merchant and trader if you can believe it, a real old fashioned frontiersman at heart. He loved space, the mystery that it held. My mom liked to say that he lived in the clouds." Kelly smiled at the memory of her mother. "Anyway, then came Christie, the oldest, by about ten years. When she was about five, my dad suggested they move to Omega."

"Omega's an odd choice for a trader, Kelly. Any particular reason your dad picked that crap hole to start a family?" Andy looked to her, and their eyes connected. "Sorry, for interrupting," Shepard offered quietly before adjusting his posture.

Kelly shrugged her shoulders and pouted her lips dismissively. "My mom told me it was because the export and import business was dead for a while in the colony. Since the colony was so small and mostly farmland, they really didn't have the need for outside resources. After my dad had been running his business there for about…seven years, he suggested heading to Omega. He heard that there was a need for traders, so he went to look into it. Once Christie and my parents settled in, he took work whenever it was available. Fortunately, there really was a huge need for fearless exporters in the area. It didn't take long for my dad to establish himself on the station. He had a reputation for making the fastest deliveries in the system; he even managed to buy out a few smaller competitors when he was at the peak of his business. Then about five years later, my mom had me. That was a little while after my dad started up his new permanent business on Omega. My younger sister Selina came around about three years later."

"Wow, two sisters? Are you close to either of them?" Andy found it ironic that he fell for yet another woman with a large family.

"Sure, my older sister Christie and I used to be inseparable. We would spend hours playing after school. Even when she was in high school and I was only in middle school, Christie always made sure that she and I at least had a few hours together. Christie was so over protective of me when I was growing up. I remember when I brought my first boyfriend Darren home to meet our mom; it was one of the most awkward nights of my life. She scared poor Darren so badly, that he never wanted to go back to my house again. Christie was always a bit of a tomboy, but she is so beautiful. I would kill to have her hair or her lips."

"You didn't introduce your boyfriend to your dad? Was he worse than Christie when it came to Darren?"

Kelly shook her head 'no', but she didn't answer him. Her eyes told him that he had stumbled onto something painful. "He never got a chance. He died when I was five."

"Died, how?" Andy's voice was full of shock, all his attention quickly went to her.

"One of his merchant ships was attacked in the traverse by privateers, Eclipse I think. They looted the ship and killed everyone on board. My mom and Christie took the news pretty hard."

"What about you? How did you take the news, Kelly?" His hand reached for hers.

She wasn't crying. This was an old, well healed, wound. Kelly still gripped his hand tightly, as she dug for the courage to explain her feelings to him. "I honestly don't remember, he wasn't really around long enough for me to get to know him. He wasn't a bad parent, don't get me wrong, it's just…he wasn't really around the house long enough for it to have impacted me. I can barely remember his face to be honest; I haven't seen a picture of him in a while now. Christie always tells me that I remind her of him, she says I have his eyes and his smile. My mom used to tell me that I was her little ball of sunshine, just like she used to call my dad."

"What about your mother? What did she do after your father was gone?" They still continued to hold hands, and Andy savored the feeling of her flesh against his.

"She was a social worker on Omega, specializing in families, if you can believe that. My mother always did have a generous spirit, she loved helping people. Every one of her clients loved her; she was just so giving and energetic. Sometimes after school I would drop by her office, and she would let me play with her client's kids until after their appointments were finished. That's how I came to love people; the kids were so fun and playful. I guess I just wanted to believe that everyone has the innocence of a child somewhere inside of them."

"Does your mom still work as a social worker, Kelly? Does she still enjoy her job after all these years?"

Kelly sadly shook her head 'no', she closed her eyes tightly. "My mom died of a heart attack a few years ago. I wasn't there for the funeral; I couldn't afford a ticket back at the time. After she died, Christie took our younger sister Selina with her and left Omega for good. They live on a fairly young colony out in the Traverse; it's only been up for about thirty years. Benning, I think that was the name."

"Kelly…I am so sorry. I wish I could've had the chance to meet her. She seemed like a wonderful woman."

Kelly nodded happily; she brought her left hand to her cheek and used her palm to wipe some fresh tears away. "She would've loved you, Andy. My mom would've embarrassed me to death by telling you old stories about me. Then she would've fed you until you were full to bursting. I remember the last thing she told me before I left Omega for the Citadel. 'When you meet a nice boy, bring him home for a visit, Kelly. He had better get used to calling me Mom.'"

Andy's hand loosened its grip around her hand. She looked at him and saw him breathing lightly with his eyes closed. Her poor white knight must've been tired. Kelly pulled her hand gently from his grip, and she kissed him softly on his cheek. She lifted herself off of the bed. Kelly made her way to his wardrobe to retrieve a spare pillow and blanket from it. Kelly approached the couch, and she was about to set her items gently onto the seats. Before she could though, Andy's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Hey, Beautiful, where are you going?" He was fully alert now that she left his side. Shepard had a large naughty grin on his lips.

Her lips pursed in confusion. She held the pillow and blanket tightly against her chest, mainly out of embarrassment. "I was going to sleep on the couch, Andy. I didn't want to risk rolling over in the middle of the night and hurting you."

Andreas gently patted the area next to him. "I think we've already proven that this bed is big enough for two people, Kelly."

Kelly blushed slightly at Andy's reminder of their night together. She nodded compliantly and set her items aside. "Okay then, Andy. Just…let me get a little more…comfortable." Kelly made sure that she reduced her voice level to a sexy whisper. Even though she spoke in a low hush, Shepard could still hear her voice ringing through his ears. This woman knew exactly how to control him. He never had a chance, and he knew it.

Kelly moved her hands slowly down her stomach; her fingers gingerly crept toward her uniform's belt. She ran her hands teasingly down her abdomen, lusciously exploring every crevice of her belly. She beamed happily when she saw Andy's jaw hit the floor. His eyes were all over her, probably undressing her even faster than she was. Once she reached her belt, she stopped. Her delicate fingers ran along its lock, and she unfastened it. Kelly removed the belt from her pants and nonchalantly tossed the lengthy strap aside.

Her next task was removing her unsightly uniform boots. She removed them quickly, since there was no pleasure to be had from making Andy watch. Once her final boot was removed, she lightly kicked them toward the foot of his bed. Andy's eyes were still locked on her. She could feel the heat from his gaze, his soulful eyes exploring every inch of her slowly emerging flesh. This definitely added a great deal of motivation to do this for him. This wasn't the first time that she had to strip for a client; she had had a former career that required such…skills. This was however, the first time that she actually felt like more than just an object. She felt admired, appreciated…she felt loved.

Kelly slowly began lifting her uniform's blouse, drawing back the curtain on her exposed naval. Just the sight of her bare stomach was enough to drive Andreas over the edge. She could see he was definitely enjoying the show. She raised the shirt above her well above her smooth and toned abdomen, intentionally snagging her undershirt in the process. Kelly raised her blouse gently above her well endowed chest, and Shepard caught a glimpse of her lacy undergarments. Each of the cups was pearly white in color, and they clung to her bosom snugly. What really drove Andreas insane was that the brassiere was partially see-through; he had a full view of her exposed breasts. The sight of them made him feel light headed from the blood rushing to his nether region. He couldn't think straight at this point. Andy had to struggle for air since he was so damn nervous by this beautiful creature that was standing before him.

Kelly lifted the blouse over her head and shook her head slightly to readjust her strawberry locks. She quickly bundled up the uniform into a ball and threw it aside. She was now only wearing a light gray spaghetti strap undershirt. It was low cut, which definitely helped to display her prominent cleavage to Andy. His eyes were glazed over with an ardent desire. Kelly could feel that Shepard's eyes were all over her, and she couldn't have wished for anything better. The minute her emerald irises saw Andy all those years ago, she never would've dreamed that he would even look twice at a mundane girl like her. Yet here he was this white knight of the galaxy, the savior of the Citadel. He was looking at her not with a superficial carnal lust but with a soulful desire. His eyes expressed a deep rooted hunger for not only Kelly's physical presence but also for her spiritual presence as well. It was almost as though just having her by his side was all he had ever wanted out of this life. Kelly never believed that Andy would've fallen in love with her, that he would desire her with the same passion that she held for him. When he told her that he loved her all those weeks ago, she was lucky her heart didn't explode in her chest at the time. Hearing those three simple words flow from his lips was easily the best moment of her life. It validated her deep rooted desire to be with Andy, an unrequited love that she had held in her heart since she was sixteen. Now her love could finally pour through her every pore. It was free to finally embrace her admirer completely, and the best part was that Andy welcomed this love with open arms. She had never felt more loved as she did right now in his cabin. So many of the men that she had been with in the past just treated her like an object, just a cheap tool to be used and discarded when they were finished. Yet Andy was something different, he loved her mind, body, and soul. Every second that Kelly had spent with him was a blissful realization of her deepest fantasies. Unfortunately, her visions of a blissful life with Andy were not to be. This was quite possibly the last night she might get to share with him; it was that cold realization that hurt her heart more than any blade ever could have. She didn't want this to be goodbye, but if this was their last night together, then at least she got to share it with him.

Andy was still laying there mouth agape, while she continued to slowly cast aside her unwanted clothing. Her final act was removing her unsightly uniform pants. She unbuttoned her apparel, and allowed the clothing to slide down her curvaceous legs. She had to bend down to remove the pant legs completely, but Andy suspected that she lingered purposefully to give him one last extended look at her voluptuous bust. The sight of those enormous globes of flesh made him lick his lips unconsciously, and his mouth felt as though it were filled with sand.

Kelly really was gorgeous. Andy found it hard to believe that she felt there was anyway that she could improve on her already flawless figure. If Kelly had wanted to, she could have easily been a model in another life. She would have definitely been a huge success with all of her flawless attributes. It was more than physical though; each of her features evoked a deep rooted emotion of love that Andy held for her and her alone. That is a quality that no other woman in this galaxy shared.

Her lips were luscious and inviting. Her eyes sparkled like clean cut emeralds; they were bright and full of beauty. She had a perfectly pear shaped waist line, that formed a very sensuous hourglass figure. Her bust line was the perfect size, not large enough that she could smother someone, yet large enough that one could fit firmly in each palm. Her flesh wasn't overflowing out of her brassiere like some of the strippers Shepard had seen on Omega. Instead, they fit snugly and perfectly within her cloth cage. Her creamy skin was fair, with nary an imperfection to be seen. Andy knew from experience that her flesh was just as soft as it looked. It was as smooth as silk and smelt of a rich feminine perfume. Kelly never told him what it was whenever he asked her about it. Andy wasn't going to pry regardless; he liked that she keep that scent a mystery. Kelly's legs were long and shapely. They were as smooth as velvet and extremely curvaceous. By the end of this little show, Andy was far more excited than he had been when they last kissed, which was clearly evident by the growing bulge in his pants. "Damn… you don't know how badly I wish I didn't have four broken ribs right now."

Once Kelly was free from the cloth's grasp, she turned her attention toward the mattress and caught him staring. Her eyes went to the rise in his pants, and she giggled happily.

The minute he realized he was showing, Andy quickly folded his legs to hide it. "Sorry, I just told you this night wasn't going to be about sex…damn it." Shepard quickly rotated his head to avoid letting her see his embarrassment.

Kelly rolled her eyes at him and smiled devilishly. She made her way to the bed and crawled seductively to him. She was graceful and moved like water across the smooth cotton bedsheets. She placed her left arm in between his right arm and his rib cage. Her right positioned itself in parallel with the left arm. Her breasts were lightly grazing his chest, and he could feel the warmth of her flesh through both their thin articles of clothing. Andy had to resist the urge to suddenly move at the risk that he might've made her fall on top of him. Not that that would have been a bad thing, were he in better condition presently. However, if that were to happen now he would definitely black out from the pain alone.

Kelly drew her face closer to him. She tittered in the sexiest laugh she could possibly muster. It was hushed, so quiet that the sound of it barely reached Andy's rose colored ears. She brought her tender lips close and locked them tightly with his. Since her arms were between his arms and ribs, Andy could afford some limited mobility. His left arm made its way up from her forearm to her shoulder. Shepard could feel the goosebumps he was giving her along his fingertips. His right hand lightly gripped her cheek, and he savored the feeling of her flesh in his palm. Andreas enjoyed it more than any other kiss they had shared tonight, it was tongueless yet he could feel her heated passion in it. She lust fully massaged his raw lips with her soft flesh and he could feel his heart melting before this beauty. Andy hungrily absorbed the hodgepodge of Kelly's sweet aromas; there was the mystery scent that permeated her soft skin, the light and fragrant smell of her pomegranate and violet shampoo, the savory cherry flavor of her lip gloss against his rough lips. Every fragrance unshackled all the love and admiration he held for Kelly. She was the woman of his dreams.

Kelly released his lips and smiled proudly at him. "It's okay, Andy. I wish you didn't have four broken ribs right now either."

He brought his lips in one more time for another short peck. She carefully removed her arms from their precarious positions and fell on her side beside him. She gently nudged her arms under the pillow and stared happily at Andy.

"You can cuddle up next to me, Kelly. My ribs are the only thing that is broken, not my shoulders." Andy looked to her, and he smiled.

Kelly shrugged and nodded. "Okay…just let me know if I'm hurting you, okay?" She drew herself closer to him and gently lowered her left arm below his pectorals. She drew her chest closer to his ribs, and her soft globes of flesh gently pushed at his sides. Andy wrapped his left arm around her back, and she adjusted herself so that she was resting her head on his left shoulder.

"There, isn't that more comfortable?" He smiled contentedly.

"More than comfortable," Kelly dug her face into his pectorals and let out a relieved sigh.

"Okay, Kelly, so then what happened?"

"Hmm?" she gently cooed with her eyes closed. She enjoyed hearing the muffled metronome of his heart again.

"What happened with your sisters Christie and Selina? How did you end up on the Citadel? When did you leave Omega? How did someone so nice find their way into an organization like Cerberus?"

Kelly raised herself to his cheek and planted a soft kiss on it. "Sorry, Andy gotta leave a little mystery, don't I?"

"Aw, no fair, Red. You can't just leave me on a cliffhanger. How will I ever get to sleep now?" he happily teased her.

"I hear counting sheep helps. Besides, you haven't lived up to your side of the bargain, Andy." Kelly lightly formed circles on his chest with her index finger.

"Remind me, what was our little wager?"

"I tell you what you wanna know, and then I get to found out more about the first human spectre. Sound familiar?" Kelly kissed his cheek happily.

"C'mon, Kelly, you can find out more about me through any old extranet video."

"I know I can, but it'll mean so much more to hear it from you. There is so much about you that I still don't know. Please, Andy?" she begged him in a fake baby voice and pouted her lips.

"Okay, I give up. So where do I begin?"

"How about your parents, was it because of them that you wanted to join with the Alliance? Were you close to them? I know you have a mom, Hannah, she's in command of the Orizaba now, right?"

Andy extended his lower lip in thought, his forehead creased slightly. "Yeah, you're right. I guess my folks did have a lot to do with me joining with the Alliance. My mom has been with the Alliance just as long as my dad has, about thirty years to the day. Steven, my dad, he met her when he was serving in the Alliance's third fleet with her. They met at the Alliance naval base at Arcturus, and he is proud to say he fell head over heels for her when they first met."

"What about your mother? Was the feeling mutual for her as well?"

"She kind of thought my dad was an idiot, he tried to use dumb one liners on her every chance he had when they were off duty. She served as his XO on the SSV Tai Shan when it was first constructed. He was serving as the admiral of a small squadron of patrol ships in the Arcturus Stream. She still calls him an idiot sometimes, but for them it is more a term of endearment than it is an insult. I guess that's something me and my old man have in common, we both fell for someone under our command." Shepard's right hand moved across his chest and planted itself atop her hand.

Kelly drew herself closer to him, burying her face in his neck. "How did she ever end up with him, Andy? I mean if she thought he was a dork right from the get go, how did he ever convince her to marry him?"

"Hm, good question. I think she already had feelings for him during a few of their tours. My dad likes to say that she flirted a lot with him, too, but my mom denies it up and down. I can see it, whenever they are together in the same room though. They may argue like an old married couple, but then my dad does something charming that makes my mom giggle like a school girl, and she will forget why she was ever mad at him. He's never told me the whole story of how he managed to convince my mom to marry him. He was usually on duty when I was younger and that meant I really didn't get to see him all that often. It's gotten a lot worse as we both went through the ranks. Sometimes, when he was off duty we'd get a chance to spend some time together watching a horror vid or playing cards. In fact, he was the one who taught me how to play Skyllian Five poker. The way he tells it, it was their third year as a couple together. My mom had just been posted to another ship, the SSV Warsaw. Anyway, the day she was set to deploy, she was called to the bridge. Turned out that my dad was waiting for her on the bridge, dressed in his best admiral's uniform, and then he got down on one knee to ask her the important question. He told me that the minute he asked her that my mom started to cry and told him yes. They kiss, and the end. Then three years later I came along."

"That's so romantic, Andy. Your dad sounds like a wonderful person. I hope I get to meet both of them someday."

"From the sound of it, they both can't wait to meet you either."

Kelly blushed heavily at the thought of reading his mail. She remembered how excited his mother was to meet her. It was definitely going to be weird, but Kelly was still going to enjoy every minute of it. "What's that supposed to mean, Andy?" Kelly acted coyly to divert any suspicion that Andy may have had about her reading his private messages.

"My mom sent me a message. She said my dad told her about you, and that I really care about you."

"When did you have a chance to talk to your dad anyway? I can't even recall you stepping away from the galaxy map or the battlefield long enough for that to happen."

Shepard gripped her hand tighter and smiled at her. "This was really early on in our mission. It was right after we retrieved the Hammerhead from Zeona all those months ago. My dad apparently tried to get in contact with Anderson and so he could set up a meeting with me. Anderson decided to help him, and he sent me a message telling me about what had happened. I set a course for the Citadel immediately so I could see my pop. The hardest part was trying to think of an excuse to tie up Miranda and Jacob for an hour. I sent them on a wild goose chase across the Citadel so they could purchase a few weapon mods and armor upgrades. Anderson uploaded the ward location to my omni-tool; turns out the location my dad picked was a spot I was pretty familiar with. I met my dad at our meeting spot, it was nice and quiet, no crowds, no noise, just us. At first, my dad couldn't believe it was really me. His jaw hit the floor and my dad ran to me calling my name. Even for his age, he's pretty strong. I was pretty sure he was going to break my ribs the way he was hugging me. He told me that he couldn't believe that I was alright, he was so happy to see me I honestly couldn't believe it. One of the very first questions he asked was where I had been all this time? I think that was the first time I had ever seen my dad cry before. I tried to tell him as much as I could, I wanted to tell him everything…but," Andy's voice faded as his mind went back to that day.

"I'm sure he understood, Andy." She tenderly kissed his hand to coax him back to her.

"Anyway, I told him about this red haired yeoman in my crew that I think I was falling in love with. He asked me how I knew. I told him because I couldn't stop thinking about her. I told him how happy she made me feel in just the short time that I've gotten to know her. I said that she made me feel like I was invincible."

"Oh, Andy," Kelly smiled at him, and his grip on her hand tightened.

"We spent the final hour talking bull over trivial things. Which sports team was going to the Super Bowl back on Earth? How my mother was doing? What ship was I serving on? Did I still work with that turian? My dad is a veteran of the first contact war, so he is a little uneasy when it comes to turians. After our hour was up, I got a page from Miranda; she wanted to know where I was. My dad told me that he'd better return to his ship, the SSV Geneva. He told me to be careful out there, that he loved me, that I made him and my mom very proud. I asked him how he could say that now that I was with Cerberus, and he told me 'Kid, you couldn't disappoint me if you tried your ass off.'"

They both laughed at Andy's dad. "Thank you for sharing about your father, Andy. Your dad sounds like an amazing man. So is that why you joined with the Alliance, to keep up the tradition of strong a strong military family?"

Andy looked up at the ceiling and stared into the skylight. "No…I joined because the future of humanity is out here. There is still so much of it that has yet to be seen, Kelly. I love space. I've been with the Alliance for almost ten years now and I haven't even seen ten percent of it. I mean wow, Kelly. I've been to planets and systems that few have even dreamed of. I remember landing on Luna and just being blown away by the view of Earth through the Mako's cockpit. Or watching the sunset on Illium with you, the way all those reds, purples and blues blended together to make a beautiful masterpiece. Oh, and don't even get me started on the Citadel. I mean my god. It is so enormous and magnificent. I can hardly believe it sometimes that it was built. I mean, sure it's supposed to be a Reaper death trap, but still it is just impressive. I don't know maybe I just live in the clouds with your dad."

Kelly laughed lightly at Andy and kissed him on the cheek. "I know exactly what you mean, Andy. I remember my first visit to the Citadel when I was sixteen. Talk about a life changing experience, seeing all those different cultures and races blending together so flawlessly, looking at all the lights, hearing all the sounds. It was breathtaking. I still get excited whenever I go to the Citadel, I just never know what I am going to find down there in the wards. Or what new changes have been made to the Presidium. It just makes me wonder if the Protheans ever felt that sort of wonder and mesmerization when they first discovered the Citadel all those thousands of years ago. Who knows what kind of secrets that wondrous place is keeping from us even now, Andy?"

Kelly thought she heard something. "Andy?" She looked up to see Andy was sound asleep. His eyes were closed lightly, and he was gently breathing. _Poor baby, guess his pain killers finally got the better of him._ Kelly quietly snickered and she brought her lips close to his bearded visage. She kissed his cheek lightly and whispered in his ear, "Rest well, my love."

Kelly snuggled in closer to his neck and finally gave into her exhaustion as well. He was finally home.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch 7: The Departure

_Captain's Cabin, Normandy SR2_

_Sahrabarik, Omega Nebula_

_48 hours post Bahak System Incident, 0630 hrs_

Kelly slowly opened her eyes. She let her vision adjust to the blinding light of the bedroom. She could hear a drum-like sound ringing in her ears. It wasn't loud of course, nor was the noise obnoxious. _Mmm, what is that sound?_ Kelly wearily mused as she stirred slightly on the bed. Her vision gradually began to adjust to her surroundings. Her cheek had been resting comfortably against Shepard's chest until she started moving. The sound that she was hearing was his heart. How could she have ever forgotten such a beautiful and gentle melody? She nudged her head lovingly against his chest and softly kissed the spot where the sound was coming from.

Kelly didn't want to leave his side, but she decided that she may as well see what time it was. She gently raised her arm from his chest and rolled onto her left side. Kelly used her right hand to part the hair from her eyes so she could examine the clock by her bedside. It read 6:30 am, she was up pretty early. She brought her bare legs over the bed and stretched her arms into the air to loosen her stiff back muscles. That might have been the best night of sleep that Kelly ever had. Then again, anything was better so long as Andy was nearby. She turned slightly to see if her spontaneous activity roused her wounded lover from his slumber.

Fortunately, Andreas was still out cold. He was still lying there peacefully and breathing lightly. She hoped he was having pleasant dreams. He deserved a good night's sleep after all the horrors he'd been through. She lifted herself off of the bed as slowly as possible to avoid passing any motion to Andreas. Kelly sauntered over to the couch to recover her discarded clothing. This was starting to feel like a repeat of last time. Hopefully this time there wouldn't be an Alliance admiral to interrupt them, nor would Andy be forced to risk his life in another suicide mission.

_Nope. Today is just going to be a quiet morning filled with goodbyes. It's funny how Omega was where it all started for Andy and his team all those months ago. Now it was the beginning of their new journey yet again_. Kelly pulled her uniform down her bust line and smoothed the blouse over her abdomen.

_I still can't believe this is really it. _Kelly put on her slacks and adjusted the uncomfortably tight waistband until it lined up with her hips. _Today Andy is disbanding his team, and pretty soon…I'll be leaving him too. _She reached for her belt and wrapped it around her waist. The belt made a small click as she locked it in place. She stole one more look at Andy, and all her apprehension melted away at the sight of him peacefully sleeping.

Kelly knew exactly what she wanted to do this morning to help get Andy ready for the long day ahead of him. She proceeded up the steps into the lavatory. She quickly washed her hands and face, before turning her attention to her hair. Her cherry locks were slightly tangled from her previous restless attempts at sleep. Her hair thankfully wasn't greasy, but it was clearly in need of curling. She wanted to go down to the crew deck to retrieve her iron or at the very least her hairbrush, but she knew she really didn't have a lot of time to spare as it was. Kelly emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and bolted towards the door. She entered the elevator and smiled happily. She had a plan; she just hoped that the key component would be up by this hour.

**~O~**

Kelly emerged from the elevator into the dead silence of the crew deck. The lights were blindingly bright in comparison to Andy's quarters. Her eyes squinted slightly to adjust slowly to the contrast. She rounded the corner near Miranda's office and heard two voices conversing in the mess. One of them was Jacob Taylor. She saw that he was currently shoveling some cereal into his gullet. The other voice, much to her delight, was that of Rupert Gardner. Though that was hardly a surprise, the man was probably one of those "early to bed, early to rise" types of men.

He was currently cleaning a frying pan, no doubt preparing to make breakfast for the crew. "Taylor, don't you ever eat any real food? I mean, everyday I see you eating that cardboard crap for breakfast. Don't you ever get sick of it?" Rupert pointed to Jacob.

Taylor shoveled another spoonful of the bran cereal into his mouth. He chewed the small morsel and swallowed before continuing. "It's bran, Sergeant Gardner, not cardboard. Besides, I like to start the day with a light breakfast," Taylor replied politely while he fiddled with a piece banana that floated helplessly in his bowl of milk.

"I'm just saying, Taylor. I'm surprised you haven't keeled over from malnutrition. You sure you don't want me to cook ya something? I've got some healthier recipes I've been dying to try out." Gardner made air quotes with his fingers to display his displeasure of a heart healthy diet. The man clearly wasn't a fan of calorie counters.

"I think I'll pass, Gardner. The last time I had some of your food; it gave me an even worse case of PTSD than Eden Prime did." Taylor let out a hearty chuckle before spooning another helping of cereal into his mouth.

"Everyone's a damn critic." Rupert grumbled as he set the frying pan down onto the stovetop. The chef turned his attention to his right and noticed he had company. His face instantly brightened, and he laughed happily. "Ah, now here's someone who can truly appreciate my work." He extended his hands as though he were presenting Kelly to Jacob.

"Good morning, Mr. Gardner, Hello, Mr. Taylor." Kelly genially stated as she approached Rupert's work station.

"Hey, Kelly. Where'd you come from?" Taylor didn't lift his eyes from his bowl. He reached for the yellow box of _Astrobran _and poured out another helping of the shredded bran cereal into his leftover milk. It had a picture of the Milky Way on the box with a cartoon Earth eating a bowl of cereal. Kelly thought it looked cute. She wanted to pick up a box of _Shepard's Puffs_ the last time she was on the Citadel, but she ran out of time. Maybe next time she would, it would be worth a laugh or two to see how Andy responded to his superstar status.

"I just woke up and decided to come down for a quick bite to eat. Sorry for interrupting your conversation."

"Ah, don't you worry, young lady. We were just discussing how Mr. Taylor's diet could use some real food in it." He glared defiantly at Jacob.

The ebony man rolled his eyes and cut the remaining half of a banana beside him with a plastic knife. "My food is fine, Gardner. Just because I enjoy healthier meals as opposed to yours doesn't mean you're a bad chef. It means I'll live to see old age." He dumped the cleanly cut fruit into his bowl and mixed it thoroughly.

"Yeah, yeah. So, Miss, what can this old fart do for ya?" He excitedly turned his attention to his newest patron. He was thrilled that he'd finally get the opportunity to cook his first meal of the day.

"Actually, Gardner, I was wondering if you might help me with something. It's a personal favor." Kelly crossed her arms behind her back and smiled at him.

"I'd be honored, Miss, just name it." He returned her grin and waited patiently for her answer.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind letting me cook a few things before the crew arrives for breakfast."

Gardner had a shocked expression on his face and even Taylor stopped eating to look at Kelly. This was the first time anyone had asked to cook something in Gardner's kitchen. The cook cleared his throat lightly. "Well, I don't see any problem with that, young lady. But if you don't mind, I gotta ask why? I mean, I could cook ya something if you're hungry."

"Oh, I know you can, Rupert. I'm just asking because this isn't for me. I really wanted to cook something for Shepard. You know, give him a nice hot meal that he could wake up to." Kelly bashfully stated and shifted awkwardly in place.

Taylor grinned at her and Gardner saw that he was snickering at Kelly's bashful behavior. Gardner smiled in response and nodded happily at her. "Well, if you aren't the sweetest thing. Shepard's a lucky man to have courted such a thoughtful young woman. It would be my pleasure to help you. After all, the Commander saved my sorry ass from those Collector bastards. 'Bout time I got started on repayin' him for it. Come on back behind the counter, Ms. Chambers." Gardner motioned for Kelly to come over to the opposite side of the counter.

Kelly nodded and moved to his side. The man was currently bending down to rummage through the cupboards of his counter.

"Just hold on one second, ma'am. I know I got a spare apron somewhere around here. C'mon, where are you, ya bastard? Aha, got ya!" The man proudly exclaimed when he found a spare apron. He gently passed it to Kelly and waited patiently for her to tie it around her waist.

"So, what'd ya have in mind for the Commander? Some French toast, Eggs Benedict? Oh, I have a recipe for homemade gingerbread waffles that I guarantee will knock his socks clean off." Gardner happily bombarded Kelly with ideas on what to cook for Andy. Although they all sounded good, she already knew what she was going to fix him. It was a little something that Gardner had fixed for them a while ago, a meal that Andreas unfortunately never got to try due to a…very worthwhile distraction.

"Actually, Rupert. Do you remember that omelette you made for me two days ago, the one with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese? Would you mind helping me make one, please?"

"It'd be my honor, ma'am." Gardner approached the fridge and extracted the ingredients to begin cooking her meal. He pulled out four small white eggs and a small gallon of whole milk. He set the items on the table before reaching inside the fridge once again to pull out four medium sized mushrooms and a bundle of spinach. Gardner picked up a whole red onion from the counter by the stove and set it by the other culinary items. The next items that Rupert pulled out were a half a wedge of blue cheese and another half a block of mozzarella cheese.

Once the counter was occupied by all the ingredients, he stood erect and turned his attention to his sous chef. "Alrighty then, are you ready, Ms. Chambers?"

"Absolutely, Rupert. What do you need me to do?" She eagerly awaited his instructions.

"First take those four eggs and break 'em into this bowl. I need you to whisk them with about…one tablespoon of milk. Then you need to season 'em with four pinches of black pepper and two pinches of garlic salt. While you do that, I'll get a pan ready for ya. Do you wanna cook the mushrooms and onion, my dear?" Gardner moved a bright red pan to the stove top and poured some olive oil into it. The oil sizzled in the pan and steam poured into the air.

Kelly lightly whisked the eggs as she was instructed to before turning her attention to Gardner. "I'd love to cook the vegetables, Rupert. Just give me a minute, and I'll get right on it."

**~O~**

_Somewhere in the Galactic Core_

_The Collector Base_

_Approximately 4 days pre Bahak System incident, 1720 hrs_

Shepard groaned under the weight of the heavy debris that lay on top of his body. Nothing was broken, which was miraculous given the height from which they fell. At least that thing, that human Reaper, was gone for good. Even though he was physically fine, Shepard still had trouble in removing the large piece of sheet metal that was on top of him. Andreas planted his arms firmly at his sides and pushed against the ground. He freed enough room to maneuver his upper body, and he used what little space he could spare to grasp the edges of the object. Andy used his strength to shove the unwanted hindrance aside.

Once he was free, Andy turned his attention sharply to his left, and saw Jacob lying unconscious on the floor next to him. At least Andreas hoped the man was just unconscious. Taylor's barrier was still emitting a bright blue aura, which could mean that he was still alive. Shepard rushed to his side and shoved a much lighter piece of the platform off of his companion. "Taylor! Jacob, get up!" Shepard placed his hand sternly on the man's shoulder and flipped him onto his back.

Taylor groaned and smirked at Shepard. "What a rush," he blinked his eyes and sat up. Shepard smiled at his comrade's remark. Taylor looked past Shepard toward a pile of debris across from them. "I'm fine, check on Miranda." Jacob coughed slightly and stood up to look for his eviscerator.

Shepard found Miranda buried underneath a few pieces of sheet metal. He called out her name to check if she was still alive. Her black and yellow uniform had been slightly torn by the fall, and she wasn't moving. "Lawson! Miranda, are you all right!?" He removed the final piece of debris from on top of her, and she stirred slightly.

"I'm fine, Shepard." She tried to stand but she was still sore from the fall. Shepard extended a hand to her and pulled her up. She dusted off her uniform and thanked him for his assistance.

Just then, Shepard heard Joker's voice break through the silence of the area around them. "Commander…c'mon, Shepard, don't leave me hanging. Pick up already!" Joker's voice was frantic, as though he were worried that Shepard was already dead.

Shepard raised his hand to his ear to respond to the message. "We're fine, Joker. Did the rest of the ground team make it back?"

There was a pause on Joker's end before the pilot answered with a relieved sigh. "Yeah, everybody's here, we're just waiting on you."

Shepard heard a buzzing noise coming toward them. He turned his head and saw a large dark cloud of seeker swarms flying toward them. His eyes went wide, and he authoritatively barked to his ground team. "Move!"

Shepard pushed them forward. He followed as best he could behind them. Shepard must've hit his head pretty hard when he landed a few seconds ago. He could've sworn that seeker cloud was talking to them telepathically.

_Human, you've changed nothing. Your species has the attention of those infinitely your greater. That what you know as Reapers will be your salvation, through your destruction._

Shepard took a slug from a Collector rifle in his shoulder. His shield absorbed most of the punishment, but it still made him stumble forward a bit. Miranda and Jacob turned toward his direction to wait for him, but he raised his hand dismissively. "Keep going, I'll catch up!" Shepard unholstered his phalanx and quickly lined its laser sight with an oncoming Collector drone. He squeezed the trigger and in one mighty explosion, the pistol hit the drone between its eyes, killing it instantly.

He fired a few more desperate shots, killing another Collector and wounding another. His gun emitted a loud beep of defiance, hot smoke emitted from the sides of the weapon. His chamber was empty. Shepard re-holstered the sidearm and ran. There had to be at least twenty Collectors on his tail now, and he was a good twelve or thirteen feet away from his squad. The ambient voice was getting even louder now, and it rang sharply through his ears.

_You will surrender your potential against the growing void. We will return, and you will rise. You cannot stop us, Shepard. _

Shepard turned the corner and saw another squad of Collector soldiers waiting for him. They fired their particle beam rifles at his feet, and he narrowly avoided being incinerated by the intense heat from the weapons. Shepard's lungs were on fire, his legs ached, yet he continued to push through the pain. He wasn't going to die down here; he wasn't going to leave her. Miranda's running was slightly interrupted when a large piece of the base fell next to her. The weight of the debris dislodged the platform next to Miranda and almost crushed her.

Taylor was the first one up the slanted pathway, and Andy saw what they were running to. The Normandy appeared in all its glory, and Andy had never been happier to see the old girl. Her sides had taken major damage from the Oculus units that they had been fighting in the debris field, and the Normandy's port side airlock was slightly burned from the laser fire. While on the ship's starboard side, there was a large gaping cut present where an Oculus fighter had burned a hole clean through the armor.

Shepard saw the port-side airlock closest to the bow open. Joker, of all people, had come out to help. He held a standard issue M-8 Avenger rifle in his arms; the rifle's scope had been retracted into the weapon due to the close proximity of his targets. He aimed the rifle past Shepard and his team. The helmsman gave a mighty yell and screamed. "You fucked up my paintjob, assholes!"

Joker began firing at the Collector units behind the Commander. Shepard could hear them making their disgusting cries of pain as the slugs no doubt impacted with their flesh. More debris from the ceiling slammed into the platform which further destabilized an already precarious situation. Jacob jumped into the Normandy first, then leaned his body halfway out of the entryway and fired his M-3 Predator to support Joker. Miranda was the next to leap from the quickly deteriorating platform. It gave out under her weight, and she was barely able to jump in the airlock.

"C'mon, Shepard, jump!" Joker screamed over the gunfire to warn Shepard of the non-existent ground near the Normandy. A slug from a Collector rifle impacted a few inches above his head which caused the helmsman to duck before returning fire.

Shepard activated his adrenaline rush to increase his speed; he had hoped that it would've given him enough momentum to clear the large gap. Andy jumped high into the air toward Joker, only to see the look of horror on the helmsman's face when they both realized he came up short.

Andreas caught himself on the edge of the airlock, and he precariously dangled from the quickly ascending ship. The gunfire and smoke around him was disorienting, he could hardly hear or breathe. Bullets from the Collector's weaponry impacted all around him and made tiny 'pinging' noises against the Normandy's steel frame. He thought he heard Joker tell Miranda to help him. Andy tried to climb up, but his grip was slipping. Miranda quickly extended her arm and caught him. Using her enhanced strength and biotics, the Aussie easily pulled him back onto the ship. They were now both lying side by side after Miranda had pulled him up in one mighty motion. Shepard rose to his feet and watched as the doors in front of him closed tightly.

The Collector units outside of the Normandy fired in futile attempts to damage the ship's near impenetrable armor. The large frigate made a sharp one eighty and shot up into the ceiling. Joker threw his rifle aside and entered the cockpit. Miranda and Jacob took up spots near the window, while Andreas took his spot behind Joker. EDI's monotone voice filled the cockpit, as she warned them of the impending explosion. "Detonation in ten…nine…eight…"

Once he took his seat, Joker raised his hand as a signal for EDI to stop. "Yeah, I get the gist of it, EDI. Hang on to your asses, everyone!"

The Normandy dashed through a large tunnel of quickly expanding fire and heat. The explosions were so loud that Andy could hear them from inside the muted cockpit. Each blast shook the Normandy violently. Soon the ship was no longer visible through all of the fire.

The Normandy soon escaped its confined prison and expelled gracefully outside of the facility. The bright orange light of the galactic core's backdrop shined brightly through the cockpit's window. Shepard could see the base behind them exploding and collapsing from the death blow they had delivered to it minutes ago. He heard the ambient voice grow sharper, angrier, more bone chillingly evil, as it argued against the group's defiant actions.

_We are the Harbinger of your perfection! We will bring your species into harmony with our own! Your species will be raised to a new existence. We are the beginning…you will be the end. Prepare for our domination. Prepare for our coming!_

The base behind the Normandy shot out a large concussion blast of energy. Its northeastern tower collapsed beneath its weight. Shepard saw the multiple blasts of fire and energy bleed from its every pore. As the last of the explosions grew smaller, the base finally gave into its damage and exploded into an enormous supernova of energy. The blast was massive, a loud sonic boom emitted out in the deathly quiet void. Shepard could see bits of ship debris ignite as the shockwave came into contact with them.

The sound of explosions was soon replaced by a loud cheering, as every one of the rescued crewmen on deck began cheering over the defeat of the Collectors. Shepard could see Jacob smiling proudly; even Miranda had a tiny smirk on her lips. He saw Kelly at her workstation, and she smiled happily at Andy as well. It was a subtle gesture that told him that he did a good job. Shepard returned her small grin and he placed his hand on Joker's chair. "Joker, take us home."

The pilot nodded and engaged the ship's systems. "Roger that, Commander, engaging FTL drives."

The Normandy flew past the massive ocean of super heated plasma. Sparks emitted from the ship's engine as it prepared for the massive jump. The ship flew a few more feet, and in the blink of an eye propelled from the system. The Normandy only left behind the ruins of yet another failed Reaper plot.

**~O~**

_Captain's Cabin, Normandy SR2_

_Sahrabarik, Omega Nebula_

_48 hours post Bahak System Incident, 0700 hrs_

_Human, you have changed nothing._

Andreas' eyes opened sharply. His pillow was damp with fresh sweat, despite the fact that the temperature in the room was well below seventy degrees. Andy brought his hand to his forehead and wiped a few large droplets of sweat from his brow. He looked to his right and upon not seeing Kelly there, he called out for her. "Kelly? Kelly, are you in here?"

No response, he rubbed his eyes quickly and saw he was all alone once again. He slowly sat up on his rear and brought his legs over the bed. Shepard yawned and stretched his arms above his head, only to be rudely reminded of his injuries.

Andreas stopped his activity almost instantly and wrapped his arm around his abdomen. He clenched his teeth and swore loudly at the pain that exploded in his rib cage. He heard the door open, which sent all his attention in the direction of the noise. Shepard saw Kelly with a tray in her hands, and a smile already draped across her pleasant face. Seeing her glowing smile made him forget all about his pain. He smiled at her and adjusted his posture to loudly pop his back muscles.

"Oh, hey, you're up. Sorry I didn't wake you. I just figured you'd be hungry, so I went to cook you something. I don't think you've had anything to eat other than painkillers, toast, IV, and water for the past few days." Kelly genially greeted her lover and walked the tray over to his small table.

"Now that you mention it, I'm hungry enough to eat a thresher maw. Thanks for the food, babe." Andreas started to lift himself slowly off of the bed.

Kelly saw him struggling to stand, and she quickly set the tray down on the table. She knocked over his prothean relic in the process, but Kelly didn't seem to notice. "Andy, sweetheart, let me help you. You could hurt yourself." Kelly rushed to his side and placed one hand on his chest while the other gripped his brawny shoulder.

"Please, Kelly. It's just my ribs that are broken, not my legs." Shepard placed his hand over hers. "I'll be okay, really."

She loosened her hold on him so he could walk on his own. Kelly strolled close by him, just in case he lost his footing. He stopped at the couch and gently began to lowering himself onto the seat. Shepard let out a relieved sigh and rested his back against the sofa's cushions. The couch was a lot more firm than he remembered; its cushions weren't exactly the most comfortable thing in the galaxy right now. Kelly could see he was still worn out from his injuries, and she lightly ran fingers through his hair lovingly. He looked up to her and saw her face glowing with the same golden smile. That smile was better than any pain killer or medi-gel he could've taken at that moment. Andy gently took her hand in his. He kissed the back of it and smiled happily at her. "So, what's cooking, good looking?"

She rolled her eyes and giggled happily at Andy's "smooth moves". "Oh my god, that was so awful, Andy, how long have you been waiting to break that one out?" Once her hand was returned to her, she walked around the table and took her seat beside him. Kelly quickly bent down to retrieve the prothean artifact from the ground. It hadn't cracked thankfully, and she lightly ran her fingers along its smooth surface. The motion of her fingertips caused the object to create waves of liquid metal across its surface. The tiny silver orb expanded then retracted as she gingerly set it down on the table top.

Kelly lifted the tray's lid, and a luscious smell gripped Andreas' nose. The small tray emitted warm steam. He could smell the pungent scent of blue cheese and bacon. He licked his lips to cease the flow saliva. His eyes hungrily explored the plate before him. Shepard saw a tiny glass of orange juice that sat beside a cup of still steaming coffee. There was an English muffin with preserves and butter spread evenly atop its surface. Then his eyes went to the main attraction sitting in the center of his plate. A large omelette sat on top of a bed of freshly cut hash browns with a few strips of bacon placed playfully beside the behemoth creation. The omelette was extremely decadent, with bits of mushroom, onions, and melting cheese bleeding from its fold.

"Wow, Kelly. You fixed all this?" Andy was shocked that she would go through so much trouble to feed him. He would've settled for just a few pieces of toast and a cup of coffee.

Kelly shook her head 'no' and placed her hands in her lap. "Gardner helped a lot, Andy. It was his recipe; I just helped him cook it. I made the potatoes and bacon, though; I have no trouble cooking."

"Mmm, well I think I've stared at this grub long enough." Shepard reached for the dining utensils hidden in a napkin, when Kelly's hand overlapped his. His eyes connected with her emerald irises, and she smiled warmly at him.

"Now, Andy. You just relax; I'll cut it for you." She reached for his utensils and began to cut a piece of the omelette off.

Andy's face burned a bright pink with embarrassment. "Kelly, you don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to, I just want to." She scooped the piece up with the dull plastic spork. Her lips pursed, and she gently blew against the still steaming morsel. Andreas could feel the cold air from her breath run along his burning flesh. It was refreshing, hell, everything about Kelly was. He loved her more and more each day.

The spork inched closer to his mouth, and he bit down on the morsel happily. "Mmm!" Andy's eyes closed, and he savored the flavors that were forming in his mouth. He could taste the blue cheese, the mushrooms, the bacon, and the hash browns. They all blended together flawlessly and made him feel like dancing. This had to be the single best thing he had ever eaten. Although, Kelly might have taken his reaction in a slightly different light, she looked worried.

"Oh, I didn't blow on it long enough, did I? Sorry, I hope I didn't scald you too badly." She quickly pulled the Spork away from his lips and set it down on the table.

"No…Kwelly. Mit's," Andreas spoke through a mouthful of food. He chewed it quickly and swallowed the delicious morsel. "It's really good…man. This had to be the best damn thing I've ever eaten. You better be careful. You keep feeding me like this, and I might need to get bigger armor." He smiled happily at her.

Kelly nodded in understanding and cut away another piece of the meal for him. "It's ok, Andy. I like my men with a little meat on them," Kelly teased him happily.

She turned her attention back to the plate and toyed with a cut piece of the omelette. "While I may not have Mr. Gardner's extensive culinary expertise, I did take a few cooking classes back in college." She set the plastic cutlery aside and picked up the cup of coffee. She blew on the brown liquid then handed the warm mug to Andy. "I couldn't remember if you told me whether or not you liked onions, I think you told me that you didn't. The red onion is a lot sweeter in taste, as opposed to the white or yellow onion's bitter and sharper flavor. I know it loses a lot of its bitterness when it's cooked, and I added butter to mask it. I don't really think you need red onions for this recipe, to be honest. I mean, they don't really add anything one way or another. Personally, I don't really care for onions either. So, I guess I could've left them out."

Andy took a short sip of his coffee and watched as Kelly chastised herself over this selfless act of love. In truth, he really didn't like onions, but he did love her. He would've gladly eaten an entire onion patch, if it meant that he could share his time with her.

"And now I'm babbling about onions for some stupid reason…" She slightly giggled and a few tears formed in her eyes. Andreas set down his coffee cup and stretched out his arm to clasp her soft cheek in his palm. "And I don't…know…why."

Their eyes connected, and Andreas brought his lips in to connect with hers. Kelly turned her body to lean into him. She had to make sure not to injure Andy any more than he already was. Kelly gingerly moved onto his lap to straddle him. Her arms constricted themselves around his neck to avoid touching his sore ribs. He moved his hands around her narrow waist, and he authoritatively pulled her in closer, smashing her chest against his. His lips hungrily devoured hers; he was hungrier for her than for the food she had produced for him. The taste of her lip gloss was still permeating her flesh and the savory cherry flavor that he tasted upon them was almost as sweet as the fruit itself.

Kelly pulled her lips back, and she let the tears flow down her cheek. When Shepard saw this, he moved one of his hands to her face and gently wiped them away with his thumb.

She took his hand in hers, and she kissed the inner palm lovingly. "I was so worried about you," Kelly admitted under her breath and tightened her arms around his neck, pulling her face closer to his in the process.

Andreas was slow to act. Eventually, he felt comfortable enough to place his hands on the small of her back. "I was worried about you too." He pulled her closer to him and pressed his face against hers.

"Me? Why would you worry about me, Andy?"

He pulled her away to look into her green eyes. They were so beautiful, scintillating like tiny emeralds. He debated on whether he should tell her about the Reaper vision, how Object Rho managed to piece together her image and showed her turning into a husk. Should he tell her that that Reaper artifact somehow knew about her? That it wanted to kill her as a way to break him? In the end, he decided against it. Instead, he just decided to tell her how he honestly felt about her.

He ran his palm down her cheek, and he wished he had never seen that vision. "I was worried…because…I thought I might never get the chance to hold you in my arms again. I wouldn't want to live if I lost you, Kelly. It was the thought of coming back to you that kept me going down there."

"What about saving the galaxy?" Kelly's voice echoed through his ears in a shocked whisper.

"You are my galaxy, Kelly."

She smiled happily and laughed at the obviously corny one liner. Andreas' silver tongue did its job, though. She returned her lips to his for one last sultry kiss.

"Thank you, Andy. Now come on, let's feed you before your breakfast gets cold." She moved herself carefully off his lap and back to his side.

"Yes, ma'am. Will I get dessert if I clean my plate?" Andreas gave her a sinister grin, as he returned to his upright position.

"Andy!" Kelly's face burned a bright red. She must've understood what that entailed.

"Sorry, Red, I couldn't resist." Andreas stole a quick glance to his plate, and then he turned his attention to the red head. "Um, Kelly, I think you may have given me too much food." He teased in a helpless voice. "I think I might need some reinforcements to finish off this monster." His hand mischievously danced along her inner thigh.

"Well, since you made such a generous offer…who am I to say no?" Kelly's hand overlapped his, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Great, then let's eat." He picked up his spork to take a bite, when Joker's voice cut into room.

"Hey, Commander, we just entered Omega's air space. I'm initiating docking procedures now."

Kelly sighed and looked up toward the ceiling to reprimand Joker. "He's kind of busy, Mr. Moreau. Can't this wait until he's at least finished with his breakfast?" Her voice was slightly annoyed, and she placed her hand back on her lap.

"Oh…well excuse me. Would you like me to come up there and fluff some pillows for his feet too? Oh, I know! I'll send the bell hop up there with some fresh towels for the spa and you two can just have a fun day of pedicures."

Shepard chuckled. Kelly was less than pleased with Jeff's derisive remarks. "Joker…" Kelly rubbed her forehead in mental exasperation.

Joker came back on the channel and corrected his derisive tone. "Relax, Kelly. I'm just having a little fun with Shepard. I just wanted to let him know that whenever he's ready he can come down here. You know, just in case he wants to get in any last words with his team?"

Shepard spoke for himself this time. He swallowed the bite of omelette that he was currently enjoying and looked to the ceiling as well. "Understood, Joker. I'll be down in a few minutes. Thanks."

"Aye-aye, Commander. Joker, out," The flight lieutenant terminated the call and a silence filled the room.

"You know, I don't have a problem with sarcasm, but Jeff definitely pushes it sometimes." Kelly crossed her arms derisively at Joker's disrespectful behavior toward Andy.

"I think he's earned a cheap shot or two, especially given the fact that he's saved my ass more times than I can count. Besides, I'll get him back. I'll just play that Expel Ten song he really hates about ten times over the PA system. By the end of it, he'll be eating his own hat, I guarantee it." He laughed and started to lift himself off of the seat.

"Oh, and which one would that be, Andy?" She joined in on his joke.

"Red Sand Woman, that song drives him nuts."

"Aw, that's too bad. I love that song." Kelly shrugged and offered him the glass of orange juice.

Shepard thanked her and wolfed down the small shot glass of fruit juice. It wasn't orange juice as he found out; the texture and taste were all off. Granted, the only orange juice he's ever had has been powdered. Fresh squeezed was very rarely offered on Alliance stations or ships, and anytime it was offered, the juice would sell like liquid gold. This juice tasted like a mango mixed with a banana, and he thought he could also taste strawberries. Whatever the juice was, it was definitely refreshing and gave him the much needed energy to tackle the day.

"Be right back, Red. Thanks for breakfast, love you." He hovered over her and planted a tender kiss on her scalp. Shepard slowly made his way to his wardrobe to retrieve a new shirt and some fresh socks. His ribs didn't hurt as much as they did last night, the medi-gel must've finally been kicking in. There was still some discomfort in activities like turning and bending over, but not nearly as much effort was needed in moving about like there was yesterday. He took off his spare undershirt and placed it into the closet.

Kelly's face flushed with bright red at the sight of Andy's bare upper body. She wasn't proud to admit that she was so sexually attracted to him. Seeing his pectoral muscles, so firm and masculine drove her insane. He also had a small patch of hair draped across his chest. Normally she didn't appreciate hair on a man's chest; it was itchy and made intercourse uncomfortable for her. Andy was a definite exception to her previous disdain, she loved his hair. She remembered caressing and playing with the soft mounds of fur while he ravished her that evening all those days ago. How delicate and flocculent his hair was, she relished the feeling of it against her bare flesh. "Aren't you going to finish your breakfast?" Kelly timidly asked and turned her head away from him to avoid letting him see her blushing cheeks.

He looked to her after he was done easing his new uniform over his sculpted abdomen. "Sure, I just gotta do this one thing, and then I'll come right back."

"Promise?"

"Promise, don't worry, Red." He blinked quickly at her before sitting down on the bed to put his boots on.

Kelly joined him at his bedside. "Do you want me to help you?" She asked him earnestly.

He finished tying his first boot, and then moved on to his right foot to place a boot on that one as well. "Honestly, Red. You spoil me." He kissed her cheek after he was finished. "See, all done. Be right back." He sprang from the bed and made his way to the door.

Kelly watched in silence, and she greedily ran her fingers along the soft bedsheets. _Damn it, even from behind Andy is so gorgeous. _Kelly bit her lower lip at the sight of him before returning to the tray to close the lid. The least she could do was make sure he had warm food to come back to.


End file.
